College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Science, Technology & Society (With Aid)

21 Ranked Colleges
1,095 Degrees Awarded
$22,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 1,095 people earned their degree in science, technology and society, making the major the 232nd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, science, technology and society graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $41,177 and had an average of $22,529 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in science, technology and society. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent science, technology and society programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the science, technology and society program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Science, Tech & Society Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for science, tech & society students with aid.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Science, Technology & Society (With Aid)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 63 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our science, tech & society students with aid list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $12,894 for Science, Tech & Society students with aid.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Stanford Science, Technology & Society Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Arizona State University - Tempe. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 37 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. It costs about $13,107 for Science, Tech & Society students with aid per year to attend ASU - Tempe.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Science, Technology & Society at ASU - Tempe

3
SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale crest
Farmingdale State College
Farmingdale, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Farmingdale State College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid. This medium-sized school is located in Farmingdale, New York, and it awarded 293 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. It costs about $9,002 for science, tech & society students with aid per year to attend SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at SUNY College of Technology at Farmingdale

4

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #4 spot on the list. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $15,768 for science, tech & society students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Science, Technology & Society at University of California - Davis

5
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid list. George Mason University is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s science, tech and society degrees to qualified students.

GMU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend George Mason University is $19,551 for Science, Tech & Society students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at George Mason University

6
Colby crest
Colby College
Waterville, Maine

With a ranking of #6, Colby College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Colby is located in Waterville, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s science, tech and society degrees to qualified students.

Colby not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. It costs about $19,597 for Science, Tech & Society students with aid per year to attend Colby College.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Colby College Science, Technology & Society Report

7
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. NC State is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 58 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NC State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $16,411 for science, tech & society students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at NC State

8
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

James Madison University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and it awarded 93 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

JMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend James Madison University is $22,562 for Science, Tech & Society students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Science, Technology & Society at James Madison University

9
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Georgetown is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 132 ’s science, tech and society degrees to qualified students.

Georgetown also made our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Georgetown University is $32,108 for science, tech & society students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 94%.

Full Georgetown University Science, Technology & Society Report

10

With a ranking of #10, Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s science, tech and society degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.

Georgia Tech also took the #14 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $14,974 for Science, Tech & Society students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Georgia Tech Science, Technology & Society Report

11
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #11, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s science, tech and society degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carnegie Mellon, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. It costs about $36,775 for Science, Tech & Society students with aid per year to attend Carnegie Mellon University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full Carnegie Mellon University Science, Technology & Society Report

12

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 5 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. It costs about $14,304 for science, tech & society students with aid per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at Cal Poly Pomona

13
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 7 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also made our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $19,058 for science, tech & society students with aid per year to attend Michigan State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Science, Technology & Society at Michigan State University

14
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Poughkeepsie, New York, and it awarded 11 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

Vassar did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. It costs about $27,499 for Science, Tech & Society students with aid per year to attend Vassar.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at Vassar College

15
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 8 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

Tufts also made our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Tufts is $37,494 for science, tech & society students with aid.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Science, Technology & Society at Tufts

16
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s science, tech and society degrees to qualified students.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $19,970 for science, tech & society students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at Vanderbilt

17

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified ’s science, tech and society students in 2020-2021.

University of Oklahoma not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oklahoma is $21,122 for science, tech & society students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Science, Technology & Society at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

18

University of Washington - Bothell Campus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW Bothell is a medium-sized school located in Bothell, Washington that handed out 10 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Bothell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Bothell is $11,562 for science, tech & society students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at UW Bothell

19

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. This medium-sized school is located in Troy, New York, and it awarded 9 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at RPI, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend RPI is $33,937 for Science, Tech & Society students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Science, Technology & Society Report

20
WPI crest
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester Polytechnic Institute ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified ’s science, tech and society students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WPI, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Worcester Polytechnic Institute is $42,835 for science, tech & society students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at Worcester Polytechnic Institute

21
Puget Sound crest
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, Washington

University of Puget Sound did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Science, Tech & Society Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Tacoma, Washington, and it awarded 6 ’s science, tech and society degrees in 2020-2021.

Puget Sound did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Science, Technology & Society Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Puget Sound is $33,562 for science, tech & society students with aid.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Science, Technology & Society at University of Puget Sound

Switch to a Similar Major

Interdisciplinary Studies
Best Value Colleges for Interdisciplinary Studies (With Aid)

Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution
Best Value Colleges for Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution (With Aid)

Mathematics & Computer Science
Best Value Colleges for Mathematics & Computer Science (With Aid)

Gerontology
Best Value Colleges for Gerontology (With Aid)

Medieval Studies
Best Value Colleges for Medieval Studies (With Aid)

Accounting & Computer Science
Best Value Colleges for Accounting & Computer Science (With Aid)

Natural Sciences
Best Value Colleges for Natural Sciences (With Aid)

International Studies
Best Value Colleges for International Studies (With Aid)

Multicultural & Diversity Studies
Best Value Colleges for Multicultural & Diversity Studies (With Aid)

Cultural Studies & Analysis
Best Value Colleges for Cultural Studies & Analysis (With Aid)

Dispute Resolution
Best Value Colleges for Dispute Resolution (With Aid)

Computational Science
Best Value Colleges for Computational Science (With Aid)

Marine Science
Best Value Colleges for Marine Science (With Aid)

Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature
Best Value Colleges for Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature (With Aid)

Economics and Computer Science
Best Value Colleges for Economics and Computer Science (With Aid)

History and Political Science
Best Value Colleges for History and Political Science (With Aid)

Linguistics and Computer Science
Best Value Colleges for Linguistics and Computer Science (With Aid)

Digital Humanities and Textual Studies
Best Value Colleges for Digital Humanities and Textual Studies (With Aid)

Data Analytics
Best Value Colleges for Data Analytics (With Aid)

Biological & Physical Science
Best Value Colleges for Biological & Physical Science (With Aid)

Systems Theory
Best Value Colleges for Systems Theory (With Aid)

Biopsychology
Best Value Colleges for Biopsychology (With Aid)

Historic Preservation
Best Value Colleges for Historic Preservation (With Aid)

Museum Studies
Best Value Colleges for Museum Studies (With Aid)

Behavioral Science
Best Value Colleges for Behavioral Science (With Aid)

Nutrition Science
Best Value Colleges for Nutrition Science (With Aid)

Classical & Ancient Studies
Best Value Colleges for Classical & Ancient Studies (With Aid)

Cognitive Science
Best Value Colleges for Cognitive Science (With Aid)

Human Biology
Best Value Colleges for Human Biology (With Aid)

Maritime Studies
Best Value Colleges for Maritime Studies (With Aid)

Human Computer Interaction
Best Value Colleges for Human Computer Interaction (With Aid)

Sustainability Science
Best Value Colleges for Sustainability Science (With Aid)

Earth Systems Science
Best Value Colleges for Earth Systems Science (With Aid)

Geography and Environmental Studies
Best Value Colleges for Geography and Environmental Studies (With Aid)

Linguistics and Anthropology
Best Value Colleges for Linguistics and Anthropology (With Aid)

Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
Best Value Colleges for Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (With Aid)

Data Science
Best Value Colleges for Data Science (With Aid)

Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
Best Value Colleges for Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies (With Aid)

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options