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2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

821 Ranked Colleges
155,417 Degrees Awarded
$3,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's 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. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 205,726 social sciences students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country. 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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 155,417 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 821 colleges that offered a degree in social sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent social sciences programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the 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 Social Sciences Schools

The social sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Duke is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 407 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Duke has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $-7,808 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Duke University Social Sciences Report

#2

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 440 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Yale has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,125 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Yale.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Yale University

#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 513 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn also took the #6 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $3,181 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive 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. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Pennsylvania

#4

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 555 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $1,866 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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.

Read more about Social Sciences at Northwestern

#5

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 603 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $2,712 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UChicago.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Full UChicago Social Sciences Report

#6

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

Williams College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Williamstown, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 207 students in 2019-2020.

Williams also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $2,498 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Williams.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Social Sciences at Williams

#7

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#10 in overall quality

Stanford University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 236 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $-1,387 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Social Sciences at Stanford

#8

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#6 in overall quality

Harvard University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Harvard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 558 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $2,973 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Harvard

#9

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia
Top 5% in overall quality

Washington and Lee University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Lexington, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 117 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Washington and Lee is also in the top of our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Washington and Lee University is $1,612 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Washington and Lee University Social Sciences Report

#10

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#9 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 623 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt University is $3,156 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Vanderbilt

#11

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Washington University in St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 348 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, WUSTL has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $5,273 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full WUSTL Social Sciences Report

#12

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Brown University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brown is a medium-sized school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 438 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $201 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brown University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Brown Social Sciences Report

#13

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#14 in overall quality

Princeton University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 253 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Princeton has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,386 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Princeton.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Social Sciences at Princeton

#14

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 291 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins is $3,526 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Johns Hopkins University Social Sciences Report

#15

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, California
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Claremont McKenna College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 177 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Claremont McKenna also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Claremont McKenna College is $8,566 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Claremont McKenna Social Sciences Report

#16

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia
#16 in overall quality

Georgetown University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Washington, District of Columbia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 758 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Georgetown also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgetown is $5,248 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Georgetown Social Sciences Report

#17

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#5 in overall quality

Dartmouth College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 409 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,052 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Dartmouth.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Dartmouth College Social Sciences Report

#18

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
Top 5% in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 1,124 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, U-M is also in the top of our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $3,166 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at U-M

#19

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Cornell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 410 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cornell has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cornell is $7,484 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Cornell University

#20

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 10% in overall quality

University of Florida landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1,154 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $1,994 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UF

#21

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts
#20 in overall quality

Amherst College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 131 students in 2019-2020.

Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Amherst College is $6,079 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Amherst College Social Sciences Report

#22

Bates College

Lewiston, Maine
Top 5% in overall quality

Bates College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Lewiston, Maine, and it awarded 190 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Bates also did well on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,618 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bates College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Bates

#23

Rice University

Houston, Texas
Top 5% in overall quality

Rice University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Houston, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 168 students in 2019-2020.

Rice excels when it comes to social sciences quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rice is $3,437 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Rice

#24

Colby College

Waterville, Maine
Top 10% in overall quality

Colby College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Colby College is located in Waterville, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 141 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Colby is also in the top of our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Colby College is $2,335 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Colby College

#25

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
Top 5% in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Swarthmore College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Swarthmore is located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 144 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Swarthmore is also in the top of our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Swarthmore College is $5,860 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Swarthmore College

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, Maine
#27

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#28

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont
#30

Pomona College

Claremont, California
#31

Hunter College

New York, New York
#34

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#35

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#36

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota
#37

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#38

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#40

Baruch College

New York, New York
#41

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#43

Lehman College

Bronx, New York
#44

Queens College

Queens, New York
#45

Haverford College

Haverford, Pennsylvania
#47

Hamilton College

Clinton, New York
#48

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#49

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#50

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
52 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
53 The City College of New York New York, NY
54 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
55 Emory University Atlanta, GA
56 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
57 Trinity College Hartford, CT
58 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
59 Florida International University Miami, FL
60 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
61 California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA
62 University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA
63 Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Atlanta, GA
64 York College Jamaica, NY
65 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
Rank College Location
66 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
67 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
68 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
69 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
70 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
71 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
72 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
73 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN
74 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN
75 Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, ID
76 Lafayette College Easton, PA
77 St Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s City, MD
78 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
79 University of Georgia Athens, GA
80 Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY
81 Pitzer College Claremont, CA
82 Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC
83 Northeastern University Boston, MA
83 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
85 College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY
86 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
87 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
88 California State University - Stanislaus Turlock, CA
89 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
90 Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO
Rank College Location
91 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse La Crosse, WI
92 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
93 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
94 Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO
95 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
96 Texas A&M International University Laredo, TX
97 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
98 Centenary University Hackettstown, NJ
99 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
100 Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, NY
101 Towson University Towson, MD
102 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
103 The University of West Florida Pensacola, FL
104 Smith College Northampton, MA
105 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
106 Washington State University Pullman, WA
107 Indiana University - East Richmond, IN
108 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
109 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
110 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
111 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
112 University of North Texas Denton, TX
113 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
114 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
115 University of North Texas at Dallas Dallas, TX
Rank College Location
116 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
117 Iowa State University Ames, IA
118 Purdue University Northwest Hammond, IN
119 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
120 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
121 American Public University System Charles Town, WV
122 Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA
123 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA
124 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI

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.

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