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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

58 Ranked Colleges
11,001 Degrees Awarded
$9,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 11,001 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 58 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.

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 social sciences program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

#1

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 168 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $7,534 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Rice University Social Sciences Report

Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #2 spot on the list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 153 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $3,473 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Social Sciences Report

Out of the 58 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M International University landed the #3 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Laredo, Texas, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M International University is $2,298 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Texas A&M International University

#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of North Texas is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 344 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNT has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $9,082 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Texas.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of North Texas Social Sciences Report

#24 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at San Antonio. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a public institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 299 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UTSA also took the #24 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at San Antonio is $11,109 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full The University of Texas at San Antonio Social Sciences Report

#3 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Texas A&M University - College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 866 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Texas A&M College Station also took the #3 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - College Station is $13,270 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Texas A&M College Station

#8 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 871 students in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $8,921 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at Arizona State University - Tempe

#25 in overall quality

University of North Texas at Dallas came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Dallas, Texas, this small public school awarded 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNT Dallas has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNT Dallas is $8,141 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of North Texas at Dallas Social Sciences Report

Texas Woman’s University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Denton, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 90 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend TWU is $7,050 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Social Sciences at TWU

#2 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 1,076 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $13,575 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Austin.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UT Austin

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 109 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, OSU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $9,962 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Oklahoma State University - Main Campus Social Sciences Report

#21 in overall quality

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is located in Odessa, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 54 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

UT Permian Basin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Permian Basin is $10,221 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full The University of Texas of the Permian Basin Social Sciences Report

#13

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Houston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Houston is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 473 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $9,925 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree 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 86%.

Full University of Houston Social Sciences Report

#14

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#13 in overall quality

University of Arizona landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school awarded 615 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona also took the #13 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $11,466 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Social Sciences at University of Arizona

#15

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#14 in overall quality

Texas Tech University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Lubbock, Texas, this large public school handed out 320 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Texas Tech has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech University is $13,326 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree 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 87%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Texas Tech University

The University of Texas at Tyler landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Tyler, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UT Tyler is $7,058 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full The University of Texas at Tyler Social Sciences Report

#17

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Ada, Oklahoma, this small public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend ECU is $8,259 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full ECU Social Sciences Report

#18

Trinity University

San Antonio, Texas
#7 in overall quality

Trinity University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Trinity U is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trinity U, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Trinity U is $12,991 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Trinity U

#11 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Dallas landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The University of Texas at Dallas is located in Richardson, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 199 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

UT Dallas did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Dallas is $11,745 for southwest region bachelor’s degree 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 90%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at The University of Texas at Dallas

Southeastern Oklahoma State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a public institution located in Durant, Oklahoma. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $6,704 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Southeastern Oklahoma State University

#21

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#16 in overall quality

Texas State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Texas State University is located in San Marcos, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 441 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Texas State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,292 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas State.

Read more about Social Sciences at Texas State

#22

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

Angelo State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Angelo State University is a fairly large school located in San Angelo, Texas that handed out 52 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Angelo State University is $11,516 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Social Sciences at Angelo State

With a ranking of #23, The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UTEP is a public institution located in El Paso, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UTEP is $7,427 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UTEP

#24

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, this large public school handed out 509 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NAU is $9,799 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Social Sciences at Northern Arizona University

#24

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
#12 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Arizona State University - Skysong is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 526 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, ASU - Skysong has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,020 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Arizona State University - Skysong.

Full ASU - Skysong Social Sciences Report

#20 in overall quality

University of Houston - Clear Lake did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Clear Lake also took the #20 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston - Clear Lake is $7,941 for southwest region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Houston - Clear Lake

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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.

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