2023 Best Value Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k)
145
Ranked Colleges
18,762
Degrees Awarded
$6,900
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 18,762 people earned their degree in general social sciences, making the major the 44th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 145 colleges that offered a degree in general social sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general 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 general social sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The general social sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 145 schools in the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #1 spot on the list. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general social sciences degrees to 258 students in 2020-2021.
Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $3,176 for general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about General Social Sciences at Vanderbilt
Out of the 145 schools in the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 182 ’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,500 for General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.
Full University of Chicago General Social Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Harvard University is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 188 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Harvard also made our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $2,564 for general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about General Social Sciences at Harvard
Out of the 145 schools in the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified ’s general social sciences students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $245 for general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Full Northwestern University General Social Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Columbia also made our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $9,873 for General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.
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. 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%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Columbia
Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Florida State is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 301 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $4,950 for General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Florida State University
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 86 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $5,194 for General 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 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at UW Seattle
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.
U-M also made our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at U-M
Michigan State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general social sciences degrees to 129 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,927 for General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Michigan State General Social Sciences Report
Boston College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It awarded 2 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Boston College has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,212 for general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Boston College.
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 93%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at Boston College
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 158 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $4,176 for General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at University of South Florida - Main Campus
With a ranking of #12, Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. SRJC is a fairly large school located in Santa Rosa, California that handed out 461 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
SRJC 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. It costs about $5,728 for general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SRJC.
Read more about General Social Sciences at Santa Rosa Junior College
Washington State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Pullman, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general social sciences degrees to 337 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wazzu has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wazzu is $7,689 for General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Washington State University General Social Sciences Report
University of Minnesota - Morris ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMN Morris is a small public school situated in Morris, Minnesota. It awarded 3 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UMN Morris is $3,941 for general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Full UMN Morris General Social Sciences Report
Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general social sciences degrees to 13 students 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 estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $8,969 for General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Arizona State University - Tempe General Social Sciences Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 13 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $7,068 for general 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 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Ohio State
University of California - Irvine ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified ’s general social sciences students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $6,540 for General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UC Irvine General Social Sciences Report
Colgate University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Hamilton, New York, and it awarded 2 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Colgate did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colgate is $10,762 for general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at Colgate
With a ranking of #19, University of Utah did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. U of U is a public institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 114 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of U, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U of U is $10,431 for General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 more about General Social Sciences at U of U
University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 9 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $8,438 for general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at UW - River Falls
San Diego State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 61 ’s general social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU excels when it comes to general social sciences quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $7,169 for general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SDSU.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full SDSU General Social Sciences Report
University at Buffalo landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Buffalo, New York, this large public school handed out 318 degrees to qualified ’s general social sciences students in 2020-2021.
University at Buffalo also made our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for University at Buffalo is $14,098 for General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full University at Buffalo General Social Sciences Report
With a ranking of #23, University of Oregon did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UO is a public institution located in Eugene, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 316 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our general social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UO has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oregon is $13,666 for General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Social Sciences at UO
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. 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 estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $5,985 for General 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 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Social Sciences at California State University - San Bernardino
California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Seaside, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 87 diplomas to qualified ’s general social sciences students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUMB is $9,192 for General Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CSUMB General Social Sciences Report
