2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $48-$75k)
644
Ranked Colleges
205,984
Degrees Awarded
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 Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 205,984 social sciences students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $36,262 and had an average of $23,306 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 644 colleges that offered 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the social sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $48-$75k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Yale University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Yale is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 528 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Yale, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Yale is $2,815 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Social Sciences at Yale
Out of the 644 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 357 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $7,081 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 full report on Social Sciences at Stanford
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Durham, North Carolina, and it awarded 530 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $7,160 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Duke.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Duke University
Out of the 644 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 871 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $2,669 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Harvard Social Sciences Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 663 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $5,849 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Full Northwestern Social Sciences Report
Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,314 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $8,106 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Columbia University in the City of New York
Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Johns Hopkins University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 1,364 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $8,457 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergraduate 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Johns Hopkins Social Sciences Report
University of Chicago came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 1,278 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,375 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Chicago.
The undergraduate 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 low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Chicago
Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 705 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $7,694 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Vanderbilt.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Social Sciences at Vanderbilt University
Rice University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 266 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rice, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rice is $6,152 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Read more about Social Sciences at Rice University
Williams College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 156 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
Williams also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $5,576 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Williams.
The impressive undergraduate 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Williams College Social Sciences Report
Princeton University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 349 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Princeton, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Princeton University is $5,542 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Princeton University
With a ranking of #13, Washington and Lee University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Washington and Lee University is a small school located in Lexington, Virginia that handed out 138 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Washington and Lee also did well on our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Washington and Lee University is $6,505 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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%.
Read more about Social Sciences at Washington and Lee University
Dartmouth College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dartmouth College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Hanover, New Hampshire. It awarded 450 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Dartmouth also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth College is $12,172 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 Dartmouth Social Sciences Report
Colby College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Waterville, Maine, and it awarded 177 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Colby excels when it comes to social sciences quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Colby College is $5,536 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Colby Social Sciences Report
University of Pennsylvania landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 642 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.
UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $12,020 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The impressive undergraduate 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. 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 full report on Social Sciences at UPenn
Brown University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Brown University is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 419 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Brown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $10,219 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergraduate 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 low undergrad 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Brown Social Sciences Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 1,247 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, U-M is in the top on our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,481 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
With a ranking of #19, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 523 students in 2020-2021.
Cornell also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $9,785 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cornell University.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The undergraduate 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.
Full Cornell Social Sciences Report
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 1,326 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $8,393 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UW Seattle Social Sciences Report
Washington University in St Louis landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 375 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
WUSTL also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Washington University in St Louis is $8,149 for Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Social Sciences at Washington University in St Louis
Amherst College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Amherst is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 87 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
Amherst also claimed a top spot on our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Amherst is $7,793 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Amherst College
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2,093 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $13,423 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 96%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Social Sciences Report
University of Florida came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,318 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Social Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $8,394 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Social Sciences at UF
With a ranking of #25, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,022 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Chapel Hill is also in the top of our “Best Social Sciences Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $11,619 for social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
Read more about Social Sciences at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
