2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Oregon

[General Social Sciences](/majors/social-sciences/general-social-sciences/social-sciences-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for general social sciences students.
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2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Oregon
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general social sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Social Sciences Schools
Our analysis ranked Portland State University the best value for a degree in general social sciences in Oregon. Portland State University is a very large public school located in the city of Portland. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,118, with out-of-state students paying around $29,136. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from Portland State University generally make around $35,093. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Western Oregon University one of the best values for general social sciences. Western Oregon University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Monmouth. Students from in state pay about $11,514 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $32,169. Typical student debt for general social sciences graduates is $25,000. Early-career general social sciences graduates make about $34,245. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Oregon came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value general social sciences schools. Set in the city of Eugene, University Of Oregon is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,320, compared with $42,516 for out-of-state students. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $22,917 in student loans. General Social Sciences graduates of University Of Oregon earn a median of $38,147 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
More General Social Sciences Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.