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2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k

22 Ranked Colleges
7,674 Degrees Awarded
$14,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Virginia, there were 7,674 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,951 and $23,273 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in Virginia

1

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 in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k. Lexington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 138 students in 2020-2021.

Washington and Lee also took the #3 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee University is $850 for virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Washington and Lee University Social Sciences Report

2
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

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 in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 440 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

William & Mary also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $7,507 for virginia 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Social Sciences at William & Mary

3
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Virginia is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 995 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $10,063 for Virginia 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Virginia Social Sciences Report

4
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

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 in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k. URichmond is a small school located in University of Richmond, Virginia that handed out 109 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

URichmond also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend University of Richmond is $8,606 for virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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 undergraduate students.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Richmond

5
VMI crest
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Military Institute. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lexington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 104 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, VMI has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Military Institute is $12,429 for Virginia Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at VMI

6
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 766 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $14,003 for virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, 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 93%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Virginia Tech

7

Northern Virginia Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Northern Virginia Community College is a public institution located in Annandale, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 524 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northern Virginia Community College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Virginia Community College is $8,407 for Virginia Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Social Sciences at Northern Virginia Community College

8

Thomas Nelson Community College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. TNCC is a medium-sized public school situated in Hampton, Virginia. It awarded 247 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at TNCC, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $5,487 for virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend TNCC.

Read more about Social Sciences at TNCC

9
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

With a ranking of #9, Old Dominion University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Old Dominion is a large public school situated in Norfolk, Virginia. It awarded 413 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Old Dominion, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Old Dominion is $13,574 for virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Old Dominion

10
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. JMU is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 416 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at JMU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for James Madison University is $14,985 for virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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 89%.

Read more about Social Sciences at James Madison University

11
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fairfax, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 788 students in 2020-2021.

GMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $15,979 for virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend GMU.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at GMU

12

Tidewater Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Tidewater Community College is a fairly large school located in Norfolk, Virginia that handed out 354 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Tidewater Community College has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tidewater Community College is $6,376 for virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Tidewater Community College

13
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, Virginia

With a ranking of #13, Radford University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Radford is located in Radford, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 90 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Radford has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Radford University is $13,026 for Virginia Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Social Sciences at Radford University

14

Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Richmond, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 401 students in 2020-2021.

VCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for VCU is $15,891 for Virginia Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at VCU

15
UMW crest
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, Virginia

University of Mary Washington landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fredericksburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 190 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMW has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Mary Washington is $16,459 for Virginia Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Mary Washington Social Sciences Report

16
CNU crest
Christopher Newport University
Newport News, Virginia

With a ranking of #16, Christopher Newport University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Christopher Newport University is located in Newport News, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 166 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

CNU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for CNU is $15,990 for virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Christopher Newport University

17
Regent crest
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Regent University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it awarded 48 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Regent also took the #20 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $20,707 for virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Regent.

Read more about Social Sciences at Regent

18
Roanoke crest
Roanoke College
Salem, Virginia

Roanoke College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Salem, Virginia, and it awarded 50 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Roanoke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Roanoke is $20,849 for Virginia Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Roanoke Social Sciences Report

19
Randolph - Macon crest
Randolph - Macon College
Ashland, Virginia

Randolph - Macon College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Ashland, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 52 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

Randolph - Macon also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $20,027 for Virginia Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Randolph - Macon.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Randolph - Macon College

20
Lynchburg crest
University of Lynchburg
Lynchburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #20, University of Lynchburg did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Lynchburg is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Lynchburg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Lynchburg is $18,080 for virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 full report on Social Sciences at Lynchburg

21
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia

Liberty University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 333 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Liberty University also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $27,251 for Virginia Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Social Sciences at Liberty University

22
Hampden - Sydney crest
Hampden - Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

Hampden - Sydney College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hampden - Sydney College is a small school located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia that handed out 71 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Hampden - Sydney has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $27,931 for virginia social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Hampden - Sydney.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hampden - Sydney Social Sciences Report

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