2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Michigan
[General Social Sciences](/majors/social-sciences/general-social-sciences/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 20 schools to find the best return on investment for general social sciences students.
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2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Michigan
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general social sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Social Sciences Schools
University Of Michigan Dearborn earned the #1 spot for value among general social sciences schools in Michigan. Located in the city of Dearborn, University Of Michigan Dearborn is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,640, compared with $32,896 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $38,850 to complete the general social sciences program here. General Social Sciences graduates of University Of Michigan Dearborn earn a median of $62,536 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $38,850 median debt. Roughly 56% of applicants are accepted.
Grand Valley State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general social sciences, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the town of Allendale, Grand Valley State University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,502, compared with $21,894 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general social sciences graduates is $27,400. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from Grand Valley State University generally make around $43,217. That is a strong return on a $27,400 median debt. Grand Valley State University admits about 83% of applicants.
Michigan State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value general social sciences schools. Michigan State University is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,079, compared with $44,850 for out-of-state students. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $29,198 in student loans. General Social Sciences graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of $46,206 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,198 median debt. The acceptance rate is 85%.
More General Social Sciences Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
