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2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k

169 Ranked Colleges
3,621 Degrees Awarded
$46,900 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,621 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 169 colleges that offered a degree in social sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality social sciences programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools

The 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 Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Duke University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 43 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Duke has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’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.

Full Duke University Social Sciences Report

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 169 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #2 spot on the list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s social sciences degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654.

Read more about Social Sciences at Harvard University

#3

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 169 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 48 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’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.

Read more about Social Sciences at Stanford

#4

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 50 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Yale also took the #1 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale University are $44,500, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Yale University Social Sciences Report

#5

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 53 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UPenn

#6

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northwestern has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Northwestern

#7

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#20 in overall quality

Rice University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Rice is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Rice not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’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.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Rice

#8

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#12 in overall quality

Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 29 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also made our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. Average graduate tuition and fees at Washington University in St Louis are $56,562, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Washington University in St Louis Social Sciences Report

#9

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#13 in overall quality

Princeton University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 52 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton University are $56,470.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Princeton

#10

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Brown University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 33 degrees to qualified doctorate’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Brown also took the #14 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Brown University are $60,363.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Brown

#6 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 75 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Columbia University in the City of New York

#12

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#9 in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 22 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Johns Hopkins University Social Sciences Report

#13

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#11 in overall quality

Cornell University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Cornell University is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 35 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cornell has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell University are $30,042, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Cornell University

#14

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

University of Chicago ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 71 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UChicago Social Sciences Report

#15

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#17 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt University are $50,624, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Vanderbilt

#16

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#16 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s social sciences degrees to 55 students in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Social Sciences Report

#17

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Tufts University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified doctorate’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Tufts has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Tufts University are $55,168, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Tufts

#18

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Florida

#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 69 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Social Sciences Report

#20

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#15 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 21 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Notre Dame are $57,522, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Notre Dame Social Sciences Report

#21

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 25% in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Social Sciences at UNC Chapel Hill

#22

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#22 in overall quality

Boston College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Boston College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. It awarded 16 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Boston College has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Boston College are $31,930.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Boston College

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 35 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UW Seattle

#24

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
Top 25% in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Social Sciences at IU Bloomington

#25

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Emory University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s social sciences degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

Emory did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Emory are $44,676.

Read more about Social Sciences at Emory University

Rest of the Best 26 in Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 26 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

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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