2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

With 205,726 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, social sciences is the 5th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $34,801 and had an average of $23,466 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 9,393 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,924 and $24,385 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 49 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,069 and $19,434 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 3 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality social sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the social sciences program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools for an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 3 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Mitchell Technical College

Mitchell, South Dakota

#1 in overall quality

$9,349 Average Net Price

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Mitchell Technical College landed the #1 spot on the list. Mitchell Technical College is a small public school situated in Mitchell, South Dakota. It awarded 11 associates’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Mitchell Tech also made our “Best Social Sciences Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Mitchell Tech is $9,349 for Plains States Region Associate Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Sciences at Mitchell Technical College

#2

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota

#2 in overall quality

$15,285 Average Net Price

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. South Dakota State is a fairly large public school situated in Brookings, South Dakota. It awarded 1 associates’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Dakota State, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,285 for Plains States Region Associate Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend South Dakota State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 South Dakota State Social Sciences Report

#3

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa

#3 in overall quality

$21,427 Average Net Price

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Upper Iowa University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for an Associate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Fayette, Iowa, and it awarded 7 associates’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Social Sciences Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Upper Iowa University is $21,427 for plains states region associate degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UIU

• Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k)

Notes and References

References

• 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).
• Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

• Credit for the banner image above goes to AndrГ© KГјnzelmann.

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