2027 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Illinois
[General Social Sciences](/majors/social-sciences/general-social-sciences/social-sciences-general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for general social sciences students.
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2027 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general social sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Social Sciences Schools
University Of Chicago tops our 2027 list of the best value general social sciences schools in Illinois. University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $69,324. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $15,854 in student loans. General Social Sciences graduates of University Of Chicago earn a median of $53,788 early in their careers. Set against $15,854 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 4%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at North Central College earned it the #2 place for general social sciences. North Central College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Naperville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,726. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $25,699 in student loans. General Social Sciences graduates of North Central College earn a median of $46,247 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Northwestern University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value general social sciences schools. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,322. Typical student debt for general social sciences graduates is $16,616. General Social Sciences graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of $78,551 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
More General Social Sciences Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
