2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
91
Ranked Colleges
22,158
Degrees Awarded
$9,300
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Social Sciences is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 205,984 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 91 colleges that offer a degree in social sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social sciences programs and 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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college 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. 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 $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 1,278 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $4,777 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, 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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at UChicago
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 663 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $917 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.
The undergraduate 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full Northwestern University Social Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,247 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $5,670 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 96%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at U-M
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 $30-$48k. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 1,846 ’s social sciences degrees 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,788 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UW - Madison Social Sciences Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 491 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
Purdue also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,853 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. 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 full report on Social Sciences at Purdue University - Main Campus
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 973 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,036 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Social Sciences at UIUC
With a ranking of #7, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 532 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $7,061 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Sciences at IU Bloomington
University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Notre Dame is $9,136 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 97%.
Full University of Notre Dame Social Sciences Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,219 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ohio State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,581 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Social Sciences at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Kenyon College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Gambier, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 78 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
Kenyon also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kenyon College is $18,974 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.
Read more about Social Sciences at Kenyon College
Beloit 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 $30-$48k ranking. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 70 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,873 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Beloit.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.
Read more about Social Sciences at Beloit College
Oberlin College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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 made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $13,745 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oberlin College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. 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.
Full Oberlin Social Sciences Report
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 139 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,216 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Full IUPUI Social Sciences Report
With a ranking of #14, Denison University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Denison is a private not-for-profit institution located in Granville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 146 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Denison, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Denison is $14,686 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Denison
With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 118 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - River Falls has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $9,478 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin - River Falls
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 172 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,075 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - La Crosse.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Social Sciences at UW - La Crosse
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 349 students in 2020-2021.
UIC also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,351 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago Social Sciences Report
Oakland University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oakland University is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 123 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,839 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oakland University.
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%.
Full Oakland University Social Sciences Report
Michigan State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 965 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $15,170 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Social Sciences at Michigan State
With a ranking of #20, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Purdue University Northwest is a public institution located in Hammond, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 42 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Northwest is $8,608 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Purdue University Northwest
Indiana 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 $30-$48k ranking. Indiana State is a public institution located in Terre Haute, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 196 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana State University is $10,911 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Social Sciences at Indiana State
With a ranking of #22, Ball State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 154 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,786 for great lakes region social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ball State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Ball State Social Sciences Report
University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 48 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $8,482 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Illinois at Springfield
University of Michigan - Dearborn came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UM Dearborn is a medium-sized school located in Dearborn, Michigan that handed out 136 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Dearborn is $10,465 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read more about Social Sciences at UM Dearborn
With a ranking of #25, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 90 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,825 for Great Lakes Region Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Social Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
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