2021 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences
Finding the Best Value Social Sciences School for You
With 154,751 bachelor's degrees handed out in 2018-2019, social sciences is the #3 most popular major in the United States.
This year's Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences ranking looked at 539 colleges that offer a bachelor's in social sciences. When talking about the 'best value', we do not simply mean those with the lowest price. We are more focused on social sciences schools that offer a high quality education at a price lower that other schools of similar academic excellence.
When calculating average cost, we take tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other related expenses into account. We then subtract the average financial aid award. The is meant to give you an idea of how much money you'll need to pay out-of-pocket through loans, external scholarships, or other methods. Depending on your income and other factors, the cost for you to attend a particular school may be more or less.
Featured schools near , edit
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 list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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.
2021 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Social Sciences Colleges for the Money.
Top 25 Best Value Social Sciences Schools
Brigham Young University - Provo earned the #1 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the medium-sized city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population. BYU excels when it comes to quality. It's ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Social Sciences list.
It takes the average student at BYU about 5.2 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $12,239. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from BYU is $64,132. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Full Social Sciences at Brigham Young University - Provo Report
Request Information
The #2 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Centre College. Centre College of Kentucky is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Danville. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Centre College of Kentucky also is in the top 20% of our Best Colleges for Social Sciences ranking.
It takes the average student at Centre College of Kentucky about 4.0 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $25,121. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Centre College of Kentucky be around $100,986. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Request Information
University of South Florida - Main Campus earned the #3 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public school with a very large student population. On top of its placing in our value rankings, USF Tampa also did well on our Best Colleges for Social Sciences list. It's in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
It takes the average student at USF Tampa about 4.3 years to graduate, and it costs about $23,095 per year to attend the school. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from USF Tampa is about $99,308. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Full Social Sciences at University of South Florida - Main Campus Report
Request Information
Florida State University earned the #4 spot in our 2021 rankings. Florida State is a very large public school located in the city of Tallahassee. In addition to its great value ranking, Florida State is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Social Sciences list.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at Florida State to complete their degree, and it costs about $27,233 per year to attend the school. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Florida State be around $115,196. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Florida State University
Request Information
Lycoming College landed the #5 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value social sciences schools. Lycoming is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Williamsport. In addition to its great value ranking, Lycoming is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Social Sciences list.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Lycoming is 4.2 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $26,985. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Lycoming is $113,067. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Lycoming College
Request Information
The #6 spot in this year's ranking belongs to University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. UW - La Crosse is a large public school located in the small city of La Crosse.
At UW - La Crosse, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and it costs about $19,185 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UW - La Crosse is $85,373. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Request Information
The #7 spot in this year's ranking belongs to University of Florida. Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, U of F is a public school with a fairly large student population. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, U of F also is in the top 10% of our Best Colleges for Social Sciences ranking.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at U of F to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $28,230. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from U of F is $120,542. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Florida
Request Information
CUNY Hunter College comes in at #8 in this year's ranking. Located in the large city of New York, Hunter is a public school with a very large student population.
It takes the average student at Hunter about 4.6 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $21,445. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Hunter is $99,290. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Full Social Sciences at CUNY Hunter College Report
Request Information
Saint Vincent College landed the #9 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value social sciences schools. Saint Vincent is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Latrobe.
At Saint Vincent, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.1 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $26,431. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Saint Vincent is $108,367. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Saint Vincent College
Request Information
Grand Valley State University earned the #10 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the large suburb of Allendale, GVSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
At GVSU, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.5 years, and it costs about $23,233 per year to attend the school. This means that the average student pays around $105,245 to get a bachelor’s degree from GVSU. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Grand Valley State University
Request Information
The #11 spot in this year's ranking belongs to St. Mary's University. Located in the large city of San Antonio, St. Mary's is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at St. Mary’s to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $25,177. This means that the average student pays around $107,002 to get a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Read full report on Social Sciences at St. Mary’s University
Request Information
Hanover College comes in at #12 in this year's ranking. Located in the town of Hanover, Hanover is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average student at Hanover graduates in less than 4.0 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $25,334. This means that the average student pays around $102,349 to get a bachelor’s degree from Hanover. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Hanover College
Request Information
The #13 spot in this year's ranking belongs to SUNY Geneseo. Located in the distant town of Geneseo, SUNY Geneseo is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
At SUNY Geneseo, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.1 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school is around $25,828. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo is $106,411. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Request Information
Our rankings recognize Cleveland State University as the #14 school in this year's rankings. Cleveland State University is a fairly large public school located in the city of Cleveland.
At Cleveland State University, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.6 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $23,655. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Cleveland State University is $108,103. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Cleveland State University
Request Information
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earned the #15 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public college with a very large student population. In addition to its great value ranking, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Social Sciences list.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at UNC Chapel Hill to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $26,820. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill is about $109,694. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Request Information
Wabash College earned the #16 spot in our 2021 rankings. Wabash is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Crawfordsville.
At Wabash, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.1 years, and it costs about $29,099 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Wabash is $118,433. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
Request Information
SUNY Oneonta comes in at #17 in this year's ranking. SUNY Oneonta is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Oneonta.
It takes the average student at SUNY Oneonta about 4.2 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $24,162. This means that the average student pays around $100,997 to get a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Oneonta. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
Full Social Sciences at SUNY Oneonta Report
Request Information
University of Minnesota - Duluth comes in at #18 in this year's ranking. UMN Duluth is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Duluth.
The average student at UMN Duluth graduates in less than 4.5 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $22,044. This means that the average student pays around $98,537 to get a bachelor’s degree from UMN Duluth. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
Full Social Sciences at University of Minnesota - Duluth Report
Request Information
University at Albany landed the #19 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value social sciences schools. Located in the small city of Albany, UAlbany is a public college with a fairly large student population. UAlbany excels when it comes to quality. It's ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Social Sciences list.
The average student at UAlbany graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $30,041. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the UAlbany is $124,971. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Request Information
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #20 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value social sciences schools. Located in the distant town of Slippery Rock, SRU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average student at SRU graduates in less than 4.3 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $21,713. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from SRU is about $93,149. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Request Information
Our rankings recognize University of Wyoming as the #21 school in this year's rankings. U of Wyoming is a large public school located in the remote town of Laramie.
It takes about 4.6 years for the average student at U of Wyoming to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $20,323. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from U of Wyoming is $94,299. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Wyoming
Request Information
Knox College comes in at #22 in this year's ranking. Located in the town of Galesburg, Knox is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at Knox to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $28,255. This means that the average student pays around $116,128 to get a bachelor’s degree from Knox. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Knox College
Request Information
Appalachian State University landed the #23 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value social sciences schools. Appalachian State is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Boone.
The average student at Appalachian State graduates in less than 4.3 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $22,137. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Appalachian State be around $95,410. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Request Information
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #24 spot in our 2021 rankings for best value social sciences schools. UW - Whitewater is a large public school located in the town of Whitewater.
The average student at UW - Whitewater graduates in less than 4.5 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $20,164. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from UW - Whitewater is $91,343. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
Request Information
Our rankings recognize SUNY Cortland as the #25 school in this year's rankings. SUNY Cortland is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Cortland.
It takes the average student at SUNY Cortland about 4.3 years to graduate, and it costs about $25,238 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Cortland is $108,019. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
Request InformationRest of the Top 50 Schools for Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences
Remaining Award Winners
This list shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 539 different United States social sciences schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Social Sciences students that almost earned our Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences award.
Social Sciences by Region
View the Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
Rankings in Majors Related to Social Sciences
Social Sciences Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Political Science & Government | 41,811 |
| Economics | 40,355 |
| Sociology | 29,920 |
| International Relations & National Security | 9,868 |
| Anthropology | 9,040 |
View All Social Sciences Related Majors >
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Psychology | 123,980 |
| Communication & Journalism | 96,549 |
| Education | 88,927 |
| History | 25,943 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 24,420 |
View All Social Sciences Related Majors >
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to AndrГ© KГјnzelmann.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
Request Info
|
Purdue University
Building on Purdue’s mission to provide greater access to affordable, world-class education, Purdue University Global delivers a fully personalized online experience that’s tailored to working adults. By opening the doors to adults who need flexibility to fit learning into their busy lives, we make it possible to achieve a high-quality education from the prestigious Purdue University system—completely online ... Learn More > |
Request Info
|
Grand Canyon University (GCU)
With a spotlight on intellectual creativity and innovation for the 21stcentury, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at GCU provides a job focused education. It blends the study of traditional humanities in a modern context. Through academic inquiry and beyond the box thinking, the college advances our society and its accomplishments ... Learn More > |
Request Info
|
Northcentral University
Northcentral University (NCU) was founded to provide accessible, high-quality, online graduate degrees to working professionals. As a regionally accredited, online university, NCU serves students worldwide, focusing on Doctoral and Master's degree programs in the Schools of Business and Technology Management, Education, Psychology, and Marriage and Family Sciences ... Learn More > |
Request Info
|
Colorado Technical University (CTU)
CTU could help you connect to what matters most: a powerful professional community, aculty who are real-world professionals, and innovative technology ... Learn More > |
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.
