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2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s

828 Ranked Colleges
155,417 Degrees Awarded
$14,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 for a Bachelor’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 155,417 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 828 colleges that offer 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.

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.

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 Bachelor’s” 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.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences

Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 561 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, BYU also did well on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,322 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Brigham Young University - Provo Social Sciences Report

#2

Thomas Edison State University

Trenton, New Jersey
Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Thomas Edison State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s. TESU is a fairly large public school situated in Trenton, New Jersey. It awarded 151 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, TESU is also in the top of our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.

Read full report on Social Sciences at TESU

#3

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
Top 20% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Public University System. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. American Public University System is a large school located in Charles Town, West Virginia that handed out 134 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

American Military University also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,222 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend American Public University System.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Read more about Social Sciences at American Public University System

#4

Park University

Parkville, Missouri
Top 25% in overall quality

Out of the 828 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Park University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Parkville, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 48 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Park University is $15,579 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Park University

#5

Colorado State University - Global Campus

Greenwood Village, Colorado
Top 25% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colorado State University - Global Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s. Located in Greenwood Village, Colorado, this fairly large public school awarded 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Colorado State University - Global Campus

Brigham Young University - Idaho ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. BYU - I is located in Rexburg, Idaho and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 115 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Idaho is $7,167 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Brigham Young University - Idaho

#7

Bellevue University

Bellevue, Nebraska

Bellevue University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Bellevue, Nebraska, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 111 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,616 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Bellevue University.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Bellevue University

#8

The Graduate Center, CUNY

New York, New York
Top 15% in overall quality

The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. The Graduate Center, CUNY is located in New York, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The Graduate Center also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.

The low 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Social Sciences at The Graduate Center, CUNY

#9

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. UW - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 88 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $13,748 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UW - River Falls

#10

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

With a ranking of #10, Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it awarded 526 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend ASU - Skysong is $13,971 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

Read more about Social Sciences at ASU - Skysong

Top 25% in overall quality

North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 73 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,584 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Dakota State University Social Sciences Report

#12

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 189 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at UW - La Crosse

#13

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Brookings, South Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 113 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,252 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend South Dakota State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at South Dakota State University

#14

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a medium-sized public school situated in Menomonie, Wisconsin. It awarded 35 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Stout is $15,839 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at UW - Stout

#15

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. Bemidji State University is located in Bemidji, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Bemidji State University is $15,868 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

Read more about Social Sciences at Bemidji State University

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Odessa, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 54 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UT Permian Basin is $10,092 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

Full UT Permian Basin Social Sciences Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #17, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 179 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Brigham Young University - Hawaii ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Laie, Hawaii, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Hawaii is $14,051 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Brigham Young University - Hawaii

#19

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #19, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UND is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 90 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,738 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend University of North Dakota.

The 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 UND Social Sciences Report

#20

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 134 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,465 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#21

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #21, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. SRU is a medium-sized public school situated in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. It awarded 106 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SRU is $19,926 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

Full SRU Social Sciences Report

#22

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

With a ranking of #22, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Hammond, Indiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 55 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,250 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Purdue University Northwest

#23

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 61 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,395 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.

Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Social Sciences Report

#24

Brandman University

Irvine, California
Top 25% in overall quality

Brandman University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. Brandman is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 42 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Brandman is $21,604 for bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

Full Brandman Social Sciences Report

#25

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. Truman State University is a public institution located in Kirksville, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Truman State is $12,462 for Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

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 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Truman State Social Sciences Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s

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

#26

Northern State University

Aberdeen, South Dakota
#28

Hunter College

New York, New York
#29

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#34

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#35

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, North Carolina
#36

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, South Dakota
#37

Valdosta State University

Valdosta, Georgia
#37

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#39

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#40

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#41

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina
#42

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#43

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#47

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#48

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#50

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s

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

Rank College Location
51 Missouri State University - Springfield Springfield, MO
52 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL
53 Colorado State University - Pueblo Pueblo, CO
54 Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH
55 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
56 Westfield State University Westfield, MA
57 Illinois State University Normal, IL
58 The University of Arizona Global Campus San Diego, CA
59 Lindenwood University Saint Charles, MO
60 East Central University Ada, OK
61 Fort Hays State University Hays, KS
62 University of Houston Houston, TX
63 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA
64 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LA
65 University of Wisconsin - Parkside Kenosha, WI
Rank College Location
66 Nicholls State University Thibodaux, LA
67 California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA
68 Angelo State University San Angelo, TX
69 Black Hills State University Spearfish, SD
70 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
71 Florida International University Miami, FL
72 McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA
73 SUNY Geneseo Geneseo, NY
74 SUNY Cortland Cortland, NY
74 Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO
76 Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GA
77 Queens College Queens, NY
78 Lehman College Bronx, NY
78 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
80 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI
81 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
82 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA
82 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
84 Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN
85 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
86 Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN
87 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK
88 Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, MA
89 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
90 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
Rank College Location
90 Indiana University - East Richmond, IN
92 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
93 Worcester State University Worcester, MA
94 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
95 Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ
95 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
97 Central College Pella, IA
98 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
99 University of Illinois at Springfield Springfield, IL
100 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
101 University of North Texas Denton, TX
102 SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY
103 Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH
104 University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA
105 SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY
106 Utah State University Logan, UT
107 Framingham State University Framingham, MA
107 Maryville University of Saint Louis Saint Louis, MO
109 University of Central Arkansas Conway, AR
110 Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA
111 Columbia College Columbia, MO
112 Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX
113 National University La Jolla, CA
114 SUNY New Paltz New Paltz, NY
115 Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, MA
Rank College Location
116 Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant, OK
117 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
118 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
119 Wright State University - Lake Campus Celina, OH
120 National Louis University Chicago, IL
121 University of Houston - Clear Lake Houston, TX
122 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
123 University of North Texas at Dallas Dallas, TX
124 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
125 University of New Orleans New Orleans, LA
125 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA

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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