2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
91
Ranked Colleges
22,158
Degrees Awarded
$8,000
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 205,984 social sciences students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $36,262 and had an average of $23,306 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 22,158 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,460 and $24,793 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 91 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the social sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 in the Great Lakes Region 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 663 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $245 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive undergraduate 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Sciences at Northwestern
Out of the 91 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,278 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,500 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Read full report on Social Sciences at UChicago
Out of the 91 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 1,247 students in 2020-2021.
U-M also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 full report on Social Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 1,846 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also took the #5 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $3,981 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UW - Madison Social Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 973 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $4,858 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Social Sciences at UIUC
With a ranking of #6, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 552 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $9,872 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Social Sciences at Notre Dame
With a ranking of #7, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 491 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Sciences at Purdue
With a ranking of #8, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 532 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $5,752 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at IU Bloomington
Michigan State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 965 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,927 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Michigan State University Social Sciences Report
With a ranking of #10, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,219 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $7,068 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 94%.
Read more about Social Sciences at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Oberlin College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oberlin, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 110 students in 2020-2021.
Oberlin also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin College is $8,756 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Full Oberlin College Social Sciences Report
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 139 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $7,026 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Sciences at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 118 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
UW - River Falls not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,438 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Social Sciences Report
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 172 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $7,517 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 86%.
Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Social Sciences Report
Beloit College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Beloit College is a small school located in Beloit, Wisconsin that handed out 70 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,970 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Beloit.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Beloit College Social Sciences Report
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 349 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,549 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UIC Social Sciences Report
Kenyon College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Kenyon College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Gambier, Ohio. It awarded 78 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kenyon, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kenyon is $14,958 for great lakes region 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Kenyon College
With a ranking of #18, DePauw University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. DePauw University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greencastle, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 134 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
DePauw also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for DePauw is $19,503 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Social Sciences at DePauw
With a ranking of #19, Indiana State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana State is a medium-sized school located in Terre Haute, Indiana that handed out 196 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana State University is $10,104 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Indiana State
Miami University - Oxford came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 572 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.
Full Miami University - Oxford Social Sciences Report
Ball State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 154 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $8,273 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Ball State Social Sciences Report
With a ranking of #22, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 42 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,775 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue Northwest.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Purdue Northwest
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 90 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,047 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Social Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Oakland University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oakland University is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 123 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $8,949 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Oakland Social Sciences Report
University of Michigan - Dearborn came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dearborn, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 136 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UM Dearborn is $9,113 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 University of Michigan - Dearborn Social Sciences Report
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