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

26 Ranked Colleges
5,679 Degrees Awarded
$14,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Social Sciences is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 205,726 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 Virginia, there were 7,884 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,679 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 26 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

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

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

#1

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, Virginia
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington and Lee University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k. Washington and Lee is a small school located in Lexington, Virginia that handed out 117 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Washington and Lee also took the #1 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee University is $1,612 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 more about Social Sciences at Washington and Lee

#2

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 464 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $4,711 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at William & Mary

#3

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Richmond. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in University of Richmond, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 121 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at URichmond, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for URichmond is $9,112 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full URichmond Social Sciences Report

#4

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Virginia - Main Campus is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1,033 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $8,882 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Virginia.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 97%.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Virginia

#5

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Military Institute. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. VMI is a small school located in Lexington, Virginia that handed out 100 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

VMI also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend VMI is $8,789 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full VMI Social Sciences Report

#6

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#5 in overall quality

Virginia Tech landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 662 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $11,138 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Social Sciences at Virginia Tech

#7

Emory and Henry College

Emory, Virginia
#15 in overall quality

Emory and Henry College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Emory, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

Emory & Henry College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Emory and Henry College is $13,366 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Emory and Henry College

#8

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, James Madison University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, this large public school awarded 364 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

JMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend James Madison University is $14,196 for virginia 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 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 James Madison University Social Sciences Report

#9

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

George Mason University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. George Mason University is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 555 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

GMU also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $16,204 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GMU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full George Mason University Social Sciences Report

#10

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia
#8 in overall quality

Christopher Newport University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Newport News, Virginia, and it awarded 187 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, CNU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Christopher Newport University is $16,529 for virginia 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 freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at CNU

#11

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia
#14 in overall quality

Old Dominion University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, this large public school handed out 422 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Old Dominion has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $12,017 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Old Dominion University.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Old Dominion

#12

Radford University

Radford, Virginia
#20 in overall quality

Radford University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Radford, Virginia, and it awarded 100 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Radford also took the #20 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $12,071 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Radford.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Radford University

#13

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia
#13 in overall quality

Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 325 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

VCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $16,768 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Commonwealth University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at VCU

#14

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

University of Mary Washington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Fredericksburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 163 students in 2019-2020.

UMW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mary Washington is $12,988 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Mary Washington

#15

Longwood University

Farmville, Virginia
#16 in overall quality

Longwood University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Farmville, Virginia, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Longwood also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Longwood is $14,704 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Longwood Social Sciences Report

#16

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Bridgewater College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bridgewater College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bridgewater, Virginia. It awarded 35 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater College is $14,220 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Social Sciences at Bridgewater

#17

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia
#10 in overall quality

Randolph - Macon College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Randolph - Macon is located in Ashland, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Randolph - Macon also took the #10 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Randolph - Macon College is $23,012 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Randolph - Macon Social Sciences Report

#18

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia
#11 in overall quality

Roanoke College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Salem, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 59 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Roanoke has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $17,473 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Roanoke College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Roanoke College

#19

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia
#24 in overall quality

Virginia State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Virginia State is a small school located in Petersburg, Virginia that handed out 20 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia State is $15,586 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Virginia State Social Sciences Report

#20

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia
#23 in overall quality

University of Lynchburg landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Lynchburg is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 59 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Lynchburg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $19,128 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Lynchburg.

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.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Lynchburg

#21

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia
#19 in overall quality

Marymount University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Marymount University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Arlington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Marymount not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $22,212 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Marymount University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Marymount University

#22

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#22 in overall quality

Virginia Wesleyan University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Virginia Wesleyan University is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

VWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend VWU is $20,816 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Virginia Wesleyan University

#23

Virginia Union University

Richmond, Virginia

Virginia Union University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. VUU is a small school located in Richmond, Virginia that handed out 39 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,636 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend VUU.

Full Virginia Union University Social Sciences Report

#24

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#25 in overall quality

Regent University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Virginia Beach, Virginia 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 17 students in 2019-2020.

Regent also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $15,584 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Regent.

Read more about Social Sciences at Regent

#25

Hampden - Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, Virginia
#17 in overall quality

Hampden - Sydney College landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hampden-Sydney, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

Hampden - Sydney also took the #17 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Hampden - Sydney College is $23,836 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 4.4% 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%.

Full Hampden - Sydney Social Sciences Report

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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