2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania
[General Social Sciences](/majors/social-sciences/general-social-sciences/social-sciences-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 23 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general social sciences schools.
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2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general social sciences degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Social Sciences Schools
For return on investment in general social sciences, no school beat Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg this year. Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg is a large public school located in the city of Harrisburg. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,975, while out-of-state students pay about $12,472. Students borrow a median of $23,500 to complete the general social sciences program here. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg generally make around $27,600. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in general social sciences will find it at Pennsylvania State University World Campus, which ranked #2. Pennsylvania State University World Campus is a large public school located in the city of University Park. Students from in state pay about $15,356 in tuition and fees. Graduates go on to earn a median of $63,435 ten years after entry. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in general social sciences will find it at University Of Pennsylvania, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Philadelphia, University Of Pennsylvania is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,686. Typical student debt for general social sciences graduates is $16,155. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from University Of Pennsylvania generally make around $99,682. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 5% of applicants are accepted.
More General Social Sciences Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 23 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
