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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences in Pennsylvania (With Aid)

64 Ranked Colleges
5,841 Degrees Awarded
$21,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

With 205,726 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, social sciences is the 5th most popular major in the United States. 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 Pennsylvania, there were 6,853 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,098 and $25,424 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,841 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 Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 64 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

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. 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 Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences in Pennsylvania (With Aid)

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 513 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid list, UPenn has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $25,802 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend UPenn.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Pennsylvania

#2

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Swarthmore College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid. Swarthmore College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 144 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Swarthmore also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $19,184 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend Swarthmore College.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Swarthmore Social Sciences Report

#3

Haverford College

Haverford, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Haverford College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Haverford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 99 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Haverford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Haverford College is $22,991 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Haverford College

#4

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
#25 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid. SRU is a medium-sized school located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania that handed out 106 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SRU, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SRU is $19,926 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

Read more about Social Sciences at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

#5

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

Out of the 64 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is $19,065 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

Read more about Social Sciences at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

#6

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

Cheyney, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #6, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is a small school located in Cheyney, Pennsylvania that handed out 14 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is $7,656 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

Full Cheyney University of Pennsylvania Social Sciences Report

#7

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg

Greensburg, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg is a small school located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 11 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,823 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid per year to attend University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg.

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%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Pitt Greensburg

#8

Saint Vincent College

Latrobe, Pennsylvania
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Saint Vincent College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Saint Vincent also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Vincent College is $16,634 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

The low 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%.

Full Saint Vincent Social Sciences Report

#9

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Edinboro is located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 55 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is $16,833 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

Read more about Social Sciences at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

#10

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. This small school is located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown is $19,712 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

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%.

Full Pitt Johnstown Social Sciences Report

#11

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

Bradford, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Pitt Bradford is a small public school situated in Bradford, Pennsylvania. It awarded 12 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Bradford is $18,906 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

#12

Lafayette College

Easton, Pennsylvania
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Lafayette College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Easton, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 286 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Lafayette not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $32,551 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid per year to attend Lafayette College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Lafayette College Social Sciences Report

#13

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania

West Chester University of Pennsylvania landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania is $22,495 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full West Chester University of Pennsylvania Social Sciences Report

#14

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 88 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,230 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid per year to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Full Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Social Sciences Report

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 568 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt also took the #13 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $27,938 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

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 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Pitt Social Sciences Report

#16

Albright College

Reading, Pennsylvania

Albright College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Albright College is a small school located in Reading, Pennsylvania that handed out 42 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,469 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid per year to attend Albright.

Read more about Social Sciences at Albright

#17

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,855 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid per year to attend East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Full East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania Social Sciences Report

#18

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Lehigh University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Lehigh is a medium-sized school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that handed out 92 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Lehigh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $29,301 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid per year to attend Lehigh.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Lehigh University Social Sciences Report

#19

Lycoming College

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Lycoming College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,580 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid per year to attend Lycoming.

Full Lycoming Social Sciences Report

#20

Westminster College Pennsylvania

New Wilmington, Pennsylvania

Westminster College Pennsylvania ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Westminster College Pennsylvania is a small school located in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania that handed out 21 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,172 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid per year to attend Westminster New Wilmington.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Westminster College Pennsylvania Social Sciences Report

#21

Rosemont College

Rosemont, Pennsylvania

Rosemont College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Rosemont is $22,680 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

Read more about Social Sciences at Rosemont College

#22

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, Pennsylvania
#11 in overall quality

Franklin and Marshall College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Franklin and Marshall is a small school located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that handed out 147 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid list, Franklin and Marshall has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Franklin and Marshall College is $30,281 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

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%. The 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.

Read more about Social Sciences at Franklin and Marshall College

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. IUP is a fairly large school located in Indiana, Pennsylvania that handed out 277 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,448 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid per year to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus.

Read more about Social Sciences at IUP

#24

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, Pennsylvania

Millersville University of Pennsylvania came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Millersville, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Millersville University of Pennsylvania is $23,350 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

Read more about Social Sciences at Millersville

#25

Lock Haven University

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #25, Lock Haven University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Lock Haven, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,506 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend LHU.

Read more about Social Sciences at Lock Haven University

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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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