2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k)
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 205,726 social sciences students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $34,801 and had an average of $23,466 in loans still to pay off.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 16,724 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 361 colleges that offer a degree in social sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent social sciences 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 social sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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More Ways to Rank 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 a Master’s 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 a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 157 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Yale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale University are $44,500, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 166 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Duke, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Duke are $59,140.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 73 masters’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011.
Out of the 361 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 27 degrees to qualified masters’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
Williams did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Williams are $59,350.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 1,031 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Johns Hopkins also took the #1 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Pennsylvania landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social sciences degrees to 66 students in 2019-2020.
UPenn also made our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified masters’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Harvard University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 202 diplomas to qualified masters’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
Harvard also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Princeton University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Princeton is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 67 masters’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Princeton also took the #17 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Chicago landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social sciences degrees to 383 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Georgetown University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s social sciences degrees to 472 students in 2019-2020.
Georgetown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Georgetown are $53,591.
With a ranking of #12, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 34 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
WUSTL also made our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #20. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at WUSTL are $56,562.
Brown University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brown University is a medium-sized school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 28 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brown are $60,363, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Vanderbilt University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 41 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Vanderbilt also made our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Vanderbilt University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 91 masters’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
U-M also took the #24 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548.
Cornell University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 masters’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell are $30,042, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Rice University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rice is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 masters’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Rice excels when it comes to social sciences quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Rice University are $47,913.
University of Florida came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 51 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 51 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Chapel Hill is also in the top of our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Social Sciences Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 238 diplomas to qualified masters’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Hunter College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s social sciences degrees to 65 students in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter College are $20,828.
Tufts University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tufts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Medford, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 279 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tufts has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Tufts are $55,168, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 488 masters’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Columbia University in the City of New York
Queens College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. QC is a public institution located in Queens, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 36 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Queens College are $21,042.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 101 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UIUC also did well on our “Best Social Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN |
| 52 | California State University - Fullerton | Fullerton, CA |
| 53 | Ohio State University - Main Campus | Columbus, OH |
| 54 | Florida International University | Miami, FL |
| 55 | The University of West Florida | Pensacola, FL |
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to AndrГ© KГјnzelmann.
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