2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region
21
Ranked Colleges
568
Degrees Awarded
$18,000
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
General Social Sciences is the 54th most popular major in the country with 18,997 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, general social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $32,991 and had an average of $24,438 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 568 general social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,813 and $28,816 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in general social sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general social sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general social sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank General Social Sciences Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region social sciences students.
Top 21 Best Value Colleges for General Social Sciences in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #1 spot on the list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 9 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - River Falls did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $13,844 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at UW - River Falls
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #2 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and it awarded 20 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stout, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,589 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Stout
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 2 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region social sciences students list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,417 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students per year to attend UW - Whitewater.
Read more about General Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 37 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,356 for great lakes region social sciences students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Grand Valley State University General Social Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio University - Athens Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 18 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OHIO Athens, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus is $23,831 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at OHIO Athens
Cleveland State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
Cleveland State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,943 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students per year to attend Cleveland State University.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Cleveland State University
Central Michigan University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 5 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Central Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,007 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students per year to attend Central Michigan University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Central Michigan General Social Sciences Report
University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Akron, Ohio that handed out 3 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Akron Main Campus also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students.
Full University of Akron Main Campus General Social Sciences Report
Eastern Michigan University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan that handed out 3 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Eastern Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,127 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Eastern Michigan University
University of Michigan - Dearborn landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Dearborn, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
UM Dearborn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UM Dearborn is $12,855 for great lakes region social sciences students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UM Dearborn General Social Sciences Report
With a ranking of #11, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. USI is a medium-sized school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 3 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
USI also made our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for USI is $13,481 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full University of Southern Indiana General Social Sciences Report
With a ranking of #12, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Shawnee State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Portsmouth, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
Shawnee State University also made our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Shawnee State University is $10,260 for great lakes region social sciences students.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Shawnee State University
Michigan State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 131 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $19,058 for great lakes region social sciences students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at Michigan State University
Indiana University - Southeast did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Indiana University - Southeast is a public institution located in New Albany, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Indiana University - Southeast not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Southeast is $11,446 for great lakes region social sciences students.
Full Indiana University - Southeast General Social Sciences Report
North Central College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. North Central is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $25,199 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students per year to attend North Central.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full North Central College General Social Sciences Report
With a ranking of #17, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
Roosevelt also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $21,678 for great lakes region social sciences students per year to attend Roosevelt University.
Full Roosevelt University General Social Sciences Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 9 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $14,878 for great lakes region social sciences students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Social Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Denison University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Denison is a private not-for-profit institution located in Granville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Denison also took the #7 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Denison University is $29,597 for great lakes region social sciences students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Denison University
Northwestern University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region social sciences students list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $23,279 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Northwestern General Social Sciences Report
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