College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences in Pennsylvania (With Aid)

48 Ranked Colleges
8,215 Degrees Awarded
$22,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Pennsylvania, there were 8,215 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,140 and $25,861 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 48 colleges that offered a degree in social sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality social sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the social sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Social Sciences Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences in Pennsylvania (With Aid)

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 642 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $25,046 for pennsylvania social sciences students with aid per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full UPenn Social Sciences Report

2
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

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 in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid. Swarthmore College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. It awarded 98 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Swarthmore also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Swarthmore is $20,813 for pennsylvania social sciences students with aid.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Swarthmore Social Sciences Report

3
Haverford crest
Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Haverford College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Haverford, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 92 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania social sciences students with aid list, Haverford has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $25,789 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend Haverford College.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Haverford College Social Sciences Report

4
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lafayette College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Lafayette College is located in Easton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 239 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lafayette, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette is $32,926 for pennsylvania social sciences students with aid.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Lafayette College Social Sciences Report

5
Lycoming crest
Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lycoming College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid. Located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 52 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

Lycoming did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $18,554 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend Lycoming College.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Lycoming

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Pitt is a public institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 680 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Pitt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $27,058 for pennsylvania social sciences students with aid per year to attend Pitt.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 93%.

Full University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Social Sciences Report

7
SRU crest
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #7, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania that handed out 117 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

SRU also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $19,927 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Social Sciences Report

8

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is a small public school situated in Cheyney, Pennsylvania. It awarded 17 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,781 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend Cheyney University of Pennsylvania.

Read more about Social Sciences at Cheyney University of Pennsylvania

9
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon also took the #2 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carnegie Mellon University is $36,775 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 Carnegie Mellon

10
HACC crest
Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg Area Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. HACC is a public institution located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 70 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for HACC is $11,608 for pennsylvania social sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Social Sciences at HACC

11
Saint Vincent crest
Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Saint Vincent College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Latrobe, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania social sciences students with aid list, Saint Vincent has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Vincent College is $21,573 for pennsylvania social sciences students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Saint Vincent College

12

With a ranking of #12, Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Indiana, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 343 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

IUP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $22,828 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend IUP.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus

13
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 394 students in 2020-2021.

Temple also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $23,888 for pennsylvania social sciences students with aid per year to attend Temple.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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 Temple University

14

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Edinboro, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Edinboro is $16,363 for pennsylvania social sciences students with aid.

Read more about Social Sciences at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

15

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 81 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Bloomsburg is $20,639 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students with aid.

Full Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Social Sciences Report

16
WCUPA crest
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania

West Chester University of Pennsylvania came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, this fairly large public school handed out 93 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania is $21,484 for pennsylvania social sciences students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at WCUPA

17

California University of Pennsylvania ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Located in California, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 105 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal U is $19,117 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students with aid.

Full Cal U Social Sciences Report

18
Cabrini University crest
Cabrini University
Radnor, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #18, Cabrini University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Radnor, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 42 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

Cabrini University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $21,020 for pennsylvania social sciences students with aid per year to attend Cabrini University.

Read more about Social Sciences at Cabrini University

19

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, this small public school handed out 32 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Pitt Johnstown is $17,457 for pennsylvania social sciences students with aid.

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%.

Full Pitt Johnstown Social Sciences Report

20
Franklin and Marshall crest
Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #20, Franklin and Marshall College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. Lancaster, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 156 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Franklin and Marshall, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $30,911 for pennsylvania social sciences students with aid per year to attend Franklin and Marshall.

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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Franklin and Marshall College

20
East Stroudsburg University crest
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #20, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid list. East Stroudsburg University is a medium-sized public school situated in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 54 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $20,141 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Read full report on Social Sciences at East Stroudsburg University

22
Albright crest
Albright College
Reading, Pennsylvania

Albright College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Albright College is located in Reading, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 56 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Albright College is $19,427 for pennsylvania social sciences students with aid.

Read more about Social Sciences at Albright

23
Lincoln crest
Lincoln University
Lincoln University, Pennsylvania

Lincoln University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 42 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Lincoln University is $17,741 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students with aid.

Read more about Social Sciences at Lincoln University

24
Allegheny crest
Allegheny College
Meadville, Pennsylvania

Allegheny College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Allegheny College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Meadville, Pennsylvania. It awarded 67 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Allegheny also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Allegheny is $24,274 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students with aid.

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 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%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Allegheny College

25
Millersville crest
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Millersville, Pennsylvania

Millersville University of Pennsylvania landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Getting Aid ranking. Millersville is a medium-sized public school situated in Millersville, Pennsylvania. It awarded 95 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Millersville University of Pennsylvania is $23,133 for pennsylvania social sciences students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options