2023 Best Value Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k)
149
Ranked Colleges
18,997
Degrees Awarded
$6,600
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 18,997 people earned their degree in general social sciences, making the major the 54th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, general social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $32,991 and had an average of $24,438 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 149 colleges that offer a degree in general social sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general social sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general social sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank General 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 Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Vanderbilt University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 258 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Vanderbilt has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,176 for social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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. 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 General Social Sciences at Vanderbilt University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $2,084 for social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Johns Hopkins.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at Johns Hopkins University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 185 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,500 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, 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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at UChicago
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 188 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $2,564 for social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harvard University.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about General Social Sciences at Harvard University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 4 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $245 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at Northwestern University
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 21 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $9,873 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Columbia
Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 301 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $4,950 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at Florida State University
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 86 students in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,194 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW Seattle.
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 2.1% 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 UW Seattle General Social Sciences Report
With a ranking of #9, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 9 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $2,670 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Michigan State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 131 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Michigan State also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,927 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 91%.
Full Michigan State General Social Sciences Report
Boston College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
Boston College also made our "" list, coming in at #. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $10,212 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full Boston College General Social Sciences Report
University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 158 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $4,176 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
Full USF Tampa General Social Sciences Report
Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. SRJC is located in Santa Rosa, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 461 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
SRJC also made our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Santa Rosa Junior College is $5,728 for social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Santa Rosa Junior College General Social Sciences Report
Washington State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Washington State University is a large school located in Pullman, Washington that handed out 337 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Wazzu not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $7,689 for social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 full report on General Social Sciences at Washington State University
With a ranking of #15, University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Morris, Minnesota, this small public school awarded 3 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Morris is $3,941 for social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 more about General Social Sciences at University of Minnesota - Morris
Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 16 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ASU - Tempe is also in the top of our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $8,969 for social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 General Social Sciences at ASU - Tempe
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 13 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $7,068 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Ohio State University - Main Campus
University of California - Irvine landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $6,540 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Irvine.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at UC Irvine
Colgate University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Hamilton, New York, and it awarded 2 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colgate, the school also landed the # spot in our "" ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colgate is $10,762 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 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%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at Colgate University
With a ranking of #20, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 125 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of U, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Utah is $10,431 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at University of Utah
With a ranking of #21, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 9 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,438 for social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UW - River Falls General Social Sciences Report
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 61 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $7,169 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at SDSU
University at Buffalo landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University at Buffalo is a large school located in Buffalo, New York that handed out 318 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, University at Buffalo has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,098 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University at Buffalo.
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 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at University at Buffalo
With a ranking of #24, University of Oregon did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UO is a large school located in Eugene, Oregon that handed out 316 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UO has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oregon is $13,666 for social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 General Social Sciences at University of Oregon
With a ranking of #25, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,985 for Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 General Social Sciences at CSUSB
