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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (With Aid)

361 Ranked Colleges
16,724 Degrees Awarded
$28,800 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master's For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 361 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Master’s For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (With Aid)

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 361 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #1 spot on the list. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 157 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Yale also took the #2 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale University are $44,500, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Social Sciences at Yale

#2

Hunter College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 65 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter College are $20,828, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Hunter Social Sciences Report

#3

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 51 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Chapel Hill is also in the top of our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UNC Chapel Hill

#4

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 202 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Sciences at Harvard

#5

Queens College

Queens, New York

Out of the 361 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Queens College landed the #5 spot on the list. Queens, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social sciences degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Queens College are $21,042, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Queens College Social Sciences Report

#6

Baruch College

New York, New York

Baruch College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social sciences degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Baruch are $20,880.

Full Baruch College Social Sciences Report

Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 59 masters’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW Seattle also did well on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UW Seattle Social Sciences Report

#8

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#6 in overall quality

Stanford University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 73 diplomas to qualified masters’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #6 spot 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 Social Sciences Report

#9

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#17 in overall quality

Princeton University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Princeton is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 67 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Princeton, the school also landed the #17 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 Princeton are $56,470.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Princeton

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified masters’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Dominguez Hills are $17,884, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full CSUDH Social Sciences Report

#11

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Florida came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 51 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Florida

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 68 diplomas to qualified masters’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Los Angeles are $17,723, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Sciences at California State University - Los Angeles

With a ranking of #13, John Jay College of Criminal Justice did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. John Jay is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 15 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at John Jay are $20,962, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Sciences at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

#14

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 15% in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 34 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue excels when it comes to social sciences quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Sciences at Purdue

#23 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 238 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #23 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UW - Madison Social Sciences Report

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Edinburg, Texas, and it awarded 5 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UT Rio Grande Valley are $15,151.

Read full report on Social Sciences at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Top 15% in overall quality

University of California - Irvine ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 73 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine excels when it comes to social sciences quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Irvine are $28,456, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Sciences at UC Irvine

#18

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #18, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Brooklyn College is a fairly large school located in Brooklyn, New York that handed out 12 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Brooklyn College are $20,952, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Brooklyn College

With a ranking of #19, Texas A&M International University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Laredo, Texas, and it awarded 1 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M International University also took the #0 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M International University are $15,106, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Sciences at Texas A&M International University

California State University - Northridge came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 31 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUN are $17,955, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Sciences at CSUN

Top 15% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 101 masters’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

UIUC 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. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Sciences at UIUC

#22

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. CCNY is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 24 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at The City College of New York are $20,832, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full CCNY Social Sciences Report

#23

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#16 in overall quality

Williams College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Williams is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree social sciences students with aid list, Williams has also earned the #16 rank 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 Williams are $59,350.

Full Williams Social Sciences Report

California State University - Fullerton came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 47 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Cal State Fullerton

#25

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Lehman is a public institution located in Bronx, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Lehman College are $21,000.

Full Lehman College Social Sciences Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

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
#28

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#32

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#33

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida
#36

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#37

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina
#38

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
#41

Augusta University

Augusta, Georgia
#42

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#43

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#44

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
#45

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois
#46

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#47

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#48

Valdosta State University

Valdosta, Georgia
#49

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

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

Rank College Location
51 University of North Texas Denton, TX
52 Coppin State University Baltimore, MD
53 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
54 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
55 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA

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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