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2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

361 Ranked Colleges
16,724 Degrees Awarded
$46,800 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master's For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 16,724 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 361 colleges that offered 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the social sciences program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools

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 for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. 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 for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Yale is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 157 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Yale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Yale are $44,500.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Yale

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 361 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 202 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Harvard

#3

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#16 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Williams College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 27 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Williams also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Williams are $59,350, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Sciences at Williams

#4

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 166 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Duke are $59,140, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Duke University

#5

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#17 in overall quality

Out of the 361 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 67 diplomas to qualified masters’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Princeton also took the #17 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton University are $56,470, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Sciences at Princeton

#6

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#6 in overall quality

Stanford University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social sciences degrees to 73 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stanford has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Stanford University Social Sciences Report

#7

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 1,031 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425.

Read more about Social Sciences at Johns Hopkins University

#8

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 64 masters’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567.

Read more about Social Sciences at Northwestern

#11 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social sciences degrees to 488 students in 2019-2020.

Columbia also took the #11 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Columbia

#10

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

University of Chicago ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 383 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #5 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Chicago Social Sciences Report

#11

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#12 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 41 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt University are $50,624, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Social Sciences at Vanderbilt University

#12

Rice University

Houston, Texas
Top 15% in overall quality

Rice University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 46 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Rice are $47,913.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Rice University

#13

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#15 in overall quality

Cornell University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 57 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also took the #15 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell University are $30,042, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Social Sciences at Cornell University

#14

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#20 in overall quality

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social sciences degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

WUSTL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Washington University in St Louis are $56,562, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Sciences at WUSTL

#15

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 66 degrees to qualified masters’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

UPenn also took the #8 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Pennsylvania

#16

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Georgetown University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 472 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgetown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Georgetown University are $53,591, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Georgetown Social Sciences Report

#17

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#18 in overall quality

Brown University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social sciences degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

Brown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brown University are $60,363, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Brown Social Sciences Report

#18

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 91 masters’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

U-M also made our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full U-M Social Sciences Report

#19

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#14 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 48 degrees to qualified masters’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also made our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Notre Dame are $57,522.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Notre Dame

#20

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 15% in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 34 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Purdue is in the top on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Social Sciences Report

#23 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 238 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Social Sciences Report

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle excels when it comes to social sciences quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Social Sciences Report

#23

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Florida

#24

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Hunter College is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 65 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter are $20,828, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Hunter Social Sciences Report

#25

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 51 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Social Sciences Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#27

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#28

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#30

Queens College

Queens, New York
#33

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida
#37

Baruch College

New York, New York
#38

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#39

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
#41

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#44

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#48

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#49

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY
52 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
53 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
54 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
55 Brooklyn College Brooklyn, NY

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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