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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k)

152 Ranked Colleges
6,579 Degrees Awarded
$7,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 19,542 people earned their degree in general social sciences, making the major the 39th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,579 general social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 152 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general social sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general social sciences programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general social sciences program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to 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 General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 157 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Harvard also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard University is $1,010 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at Harvard

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 227 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,017 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanderbilt.

The impressive 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. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 Vanderbilt General Social Sciences Report

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 152 schools in the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $3,995 for bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Northwestern University

#4

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general social sciences students in 2019-2020.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $4,833 for bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive 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 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Social Sciences at University of Pennsylvania

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,887 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor General Social Sciences Report

#8 in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $7,467 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#7

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Colgate University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Colgate is located in Hamilton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Colgate not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Colgate is $8,958 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Colgate University General Social Sciences Report

University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Morris, Minnesota, this small public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general social sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Morris is $3,435 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at UMN Morris

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $3,473 for bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

#10

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#13 in overall quality

Florida State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 292 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Florida State also made our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $6,816 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida State.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Florida State University

Top 25% in overall quality

University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to 153 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $5,616 for bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, 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 92%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at USF Tampa

#12

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Pensacola, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 42 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general social sciences students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,912 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of West Florida.

Read more about General Social Sciences at The University of West Florida

#13

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#17 in overall quality

Washington State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 394 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Wazzu not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Wazzu is $11,337 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Washington State University

#24 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 students.

Full University of California - Irvine General Social Sciences Report

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,958 for bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stan State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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 - Stanislaus

#16

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming

With a ranking of #16, University of Wyoming did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW is a fairly large school located in Laramie, Wyoming that handed out 16 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wyoming is $9,200 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW General Social Sciences Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - River Falls also did well on our “Best General Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $10,124 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#18

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

University of North Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UNT is $9,082 for bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full UNT General Social Sciences Report

#19

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

With a ranking of #19, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $7,847 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Social Sciences at UCF

#20

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 55 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $10,594 for bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive 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 San Diego State University

#21

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #21, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Platteville, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general social sciences degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,930 for bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Platteville.

Full UW - Platteville General Social Sciences Report

#22

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stout came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - Stout is a medium-sized public school situated in Menomonie, Wisconsin. It awarded 15 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stout is $10,778 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about General Social Sciences at UW - Stout

#23

Southern Oregon University

Ashland, Oregon

Southern Oregon University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Southern Oregon University is a public institution located in Ashland, Oregon. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Oregon University is $9,270 for bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about General Social Sciences at Southern Oregon University

#24

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northern Kentucky University is a fairly large school located in Highland Heights, Kentucky that handed out 10 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NKU is $6,295 for Bachelor’s Degree General Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Northern Kentucky University General Social Sciences Report

#25

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

With a ranking of #25, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 49 bachelors’s general social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $12,459 for bachelor’s degree general social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Social Sciences at GVSU

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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