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2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k

26 Ranked Colleges
5,679 Degrees Awarded
$15,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 26 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lexington, Virginia. It awarded 117 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Washington and Lee did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee University is $2,039 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Washington and Lee University

#2

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 464 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $4,963 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend William & Mary.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full William & Mary Social Sciences Report

#3

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Virginia 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.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, University of Virginia has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $11,696 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Virginia

#4

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Richmond. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Richmond is a private not-for-profit institution located in University of Richmond, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 121 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

URichmond also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $9,131 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Richmond.

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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Richmond

#5

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Military Institute landed the #5 spot on the list. VMI is located in Lexington, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 100 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

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 $6,604 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Virginia Military Institute Social Sciences Report

#6

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 662 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $14,010 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Virginia Tech

#7

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#6 in overall quality

James Madison University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. James Madison University is a large public school situated in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It awarded 364 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for JMU is $15,726 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at JMU

#8

Emory and Henry College

Emory, Virginia
#15 in overall quality

Emory and Henry College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k 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 also took the #15 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Emory and Henry College is $14,583 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Emory and Henry College

#9

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia
#8 in overall quality

Christopher Newport University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Newport News, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 187 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k 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 CNU is $17,522 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Read more about Social Sciences at CNU

#10

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia
#14 in overall quality

Old Dominion University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and it awarded 422 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Old Dominion also took the #14 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $13,747 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Old Dominion University.

Full Old Dominion Social Sciences Report

#11

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

George Mason 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 $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 555 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

GMU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $17,060 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend George Mason University.

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 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at GMU

#12

Radford University

Radford, Virginia
#20 in overall quality

Radford University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Radford is a fairly large public school situated in Radford, Virginia. It awarded 100 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Radford has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $12,355 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Radford University.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Radford University

#13

Longwood University

Farmville, Virginia
#16 in overall quality

Longwood University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Farmville, Virginia, this small public school awarded 67 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 $30-$48k list, Longwood has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Longwood is $14,433 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Longwood Social Sciences Report

#14

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia
#13 in overall quality

Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Virginia Commonwealth University is a large school located in Richmond, Virginia that handed out 325 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at VCU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Commonwealth University is $17,529 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Social Sciences at VCU

#15

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

University of Mary Washington ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Mary Washington is a public institution located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 163 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMW also took the #12 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mary Washington is $14,997 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UMW

#16

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Randolph - Macon College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Ashland, Virginia, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Randolph - Macon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Randolph - Macon is $20,105 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Social Sciences at Randolph - Macon

#17

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia
#18 in overall quality

Bridgewater College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bridgewater College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bridgewater, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bridgewater, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater is $14,634 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Bridgewater College Social Sciences Report

#18

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia
#11 in overall quality

Roanoke College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Roanoke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Salem, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Roanoke has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roanoke College is $19,874 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Roanoke College Social Sciences Report

#19

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia
#23 in overall quality

University of Lynchburg landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Lynchburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 59 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Lynchburg has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lynchburg is $21,307 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Lynchburg

#20

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia
#24 in overall quality

Virginia State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k 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. It costs about $16,410 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Virginia State University.

Read more about Social Sciences at Virginia State University

#21

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia
#19 in overall quality

Marymount University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Arlington, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 37 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 $30-$48k list, Marymount has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $22,618 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Marymount University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Marymount

#22

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#22 in overall quality

Virginia Wesleyan University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at VWU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Wesleyan University is $20,744 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full VWU Social Sciences Report

#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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Richmond, 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 39 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,651 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Virginia Union University.

Read more about Social Sciences at Virginia Union University

#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 $30-$48k ranking. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Regent also took the #25 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $14,525 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k 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 did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Hampden - Sydney College is located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Hampden - Sydney did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $25,858 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hampden - Sydney.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Hampden - Sydney College 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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