2022 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
With 205,726 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, social sciences is the 5th most popular major in the United States. 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.
Across the Southwest region, there were 14,301 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,155 and $22,401 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 63 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
Out of the 63 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the #1 spot on the list. Rice is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 227 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Rice not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $3,437 for Southwest Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rice University.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central New Mexico Community College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Albuquerque, New Mexico is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 236 students in 2019-2020.
CNM also took the #5 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $2,604 for Southwest Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CNM.
Read more about Social Sciences at Central New Mexico Community College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oklahoma City Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and it awarded 50 ’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OCCC, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $5,889 for southwest region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oklahoma City Community College.
Out of the 63 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Rose State College landed the #4 spot on the list. Midwest City, Oklahoma is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 121 students in 2019-2020.
RSC also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend RSC is $7,854 for Southwest Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 158 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $2,993 for southwest region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Texas A&M International University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized public school situated in Laredo, Texas. It awarded 46 ’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M International University is $2,261 for southwest region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Texas A&M International University
University of North Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. University of North Texas is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 411 ’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UNT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $8,521 for Southwest Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Texas.
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 full report on Social Sciences at University of North Texas
With a ranking of #8, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. College Station, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 1,185 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Texas A&M College Station has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - College Station is $11,454 for southwest region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Texas A&M College Station
University of North Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This small school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 39 ’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,732 for Southwest Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Texas at Dallas.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of North Texas at Dallas
Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1,096 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
ASU - Tempe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $7,044 for Southwest Region 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 University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. UTSA is a public institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 352 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,516 for Southwest Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UTSA.
With a ranking of #11, Texas Woman’s University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Denton, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 105 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Texas Woman’s University is $6,706 for southwest region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 1,246 students in 2019-2020.
UT Austin also took the #2 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,203 for southwest region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
Full The University of Texas at Austin Social Sciences Report
University of Arizona ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 811 students in 2019-2020.
University of Arizona also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $10,562 for Southwest Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Arizona.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Texas Tech University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 356 ’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas Tech, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech University is $12,317 for southwest region 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 87%.
Trinity University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 94 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Trinity U has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,373 for Southwest Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Trinity University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. OSU is a public institution located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 135 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OSU, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend OSU is $8,669 for southwest region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Odessa, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 54 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
UT Permian Basin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Permian Basin is $7,889 for Southwest Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Houston ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 544 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UH has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,203 for southwest region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UH.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
With a ranking of #20, The University of Texas at Tyler did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Tyler, Texas, and it awarded 31 ’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UT Tyler is $6,797 for southwest region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #21, University of Houston - Clear Lake did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Houston - Clear Lake is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 83 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UH Clear Lake did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston - Clear Lake is $4,517 for Southwest Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Houston - Clear Lake Social Sciences Report
Southeastern Oklahoma State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a medium-sized school located in Durant, Oklahoma that handed out 6 ’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $6,102 for Southwest Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Social Sciences at Southeastern Oklahoma State University
The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 288 ’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Dallas, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Dallas is $10,857 for southwest region 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 90%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Sciences at The University of Texas at Dallas
East Central University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. ECU is located in Ada, Oklahoma and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for East Central University is $7,787 for southwest region social sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #25, Angelo State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Angelo, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 80 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Angelo State is $9,799 for Southwest Region Social Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Angelo State University
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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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