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

13 Ranked Colleges
1,540 Degrees Awarded
$17,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 Iowa, there were 1,610 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,613 and $22,174 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,540 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,922 and $25,876 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 13 colleges that offer 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools

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 Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in Iowa

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k. Iowa State University is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 209 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $10,843 for iowa bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Iowa State University

#2

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Grinnell College landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Grinnell, Iowa, and it awarded 129 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Grinnell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend Grinnell College is $14,818 for iowa bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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.

Read more about Social Sciences at Grinnell College

#3

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school handed out 151 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $12,495 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UNI

#4

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 571 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $15,073 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Full University of Iowa Social Sciences Report

#5

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Coe College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k. This small school is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Coe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $15,918 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Coe.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Coe College

#6

Simpson College

Indianola, Iowa
#8 in overall quality

Simpson College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indianola, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Simpson College, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Simpson College is $15,323 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Simpson College Social Sciences Report

#7

Wartburg College

Waverly, Iowa
#6 in overall quality

Wartburg College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wartburg is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waverly, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wartburg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $19,037 for iowa bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wartburg.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Wartburg College

#8

Loras College

Dubuque, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

Loras College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Loras is a small school located in Dubuque, Iowa that handed out 36 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loras, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loras is $17,094 for iowa bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Loras College

#9

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, Iowa
#12 in overall quality

Cornell College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cornell College is located in Mount Vernon, Iowa and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Cornell College also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $21,970 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cornell College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Cornell College

#10

Central College

Pella, Iowa
#11 in overall quality

Central College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Pella, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. It costs about $19,207 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Central.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Central College

#11

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa
#9 in overall quality

Luther College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Luther College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decorah, Iowa. It awarded 29 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Luther, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Luther College is $17,630 for Iowa 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%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Luther

#12

Upper Iowa University

Fayette, Iowa
#13 in overall quality

Upper Iowa University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. UIU is a small school located in Fayette, Iowa that handed out 85 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Upper Iowa University is $17,928 for iowa bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Social Sciences at Upper Iowa University

#13

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Drake University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Iowa For Those Making $30-$48k list. Drake University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Des Moines, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Drake did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Iowa” list. The estimated yearly cost for Drake University is $24,060 for Iowa Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Drake University

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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