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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

76 Ranked Colleges
8,114 Degrees Awarded
$34,525 Avg Salary
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 205,726 social sciences students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $34,801 and had an average of $23,466 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 9,393 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,924 and $24,385 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,114 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 76 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.

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 Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. WUSTL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 348 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $11,832 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at WUSTL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Morris. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Morris, Minnesota, this small public school awarded 58 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Morris is $7,558 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Social Sciences at UMN Morris

#3

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 1,057 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #7 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $12,556 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#4

Carleton College

Northfield, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carleton College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Carleton College is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 116 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Carleton also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Carleton College is $16,716 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low 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%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Carleton

#5

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 76 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, St Olaf College landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 182 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

St. Olaf also took the #3 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,577 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend St. Olaf.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low 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%.

Read more about Social Sciences at St. Olaf

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Missouri University of Science and Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized school located in Rolla, Missouri that handed out 9 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri University of Science and Technology, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri University of Science and Technology is $13,058 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Missouri University of Science and Technology

#7

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa
#4 in overall quality

Grinnell College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Grinnell, Iowa, and it awarded 129 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Grinnell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grinnell is $12,486 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 impressive 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.

Read more about Social Sciences at Grinnell

#12 in overall quality

Iowa State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 209 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Iowa State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $14,161 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Social Sciences at Iowa State

#16 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Missouri - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 316 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $13,145 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Mizzou

#21 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Duluth, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 180 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $12,438 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Minnesota - Duluth

#11

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Kirksville, Missouri, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,031 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Truman State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Truman State University

#12

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#8 in overall quality

Macalester College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Macalester is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 135 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Macalester did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Macalester is $20,102 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at Macalester

#13

Park University

Parkville, Missouri
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Park University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Parkville, Missouri. It awarded 48 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Park University also took the #20 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Park University is $17,144 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Social Sciences at Park University

#14

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #14, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UMSL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 174 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,894 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMSL.

Full UMSL Social Sciences Report

#15

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

Saint Cloud State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Saint Cloud, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 112 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend St. Cloud State University is $13,373 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Saint Cloud State University

#16

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#22 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 151 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UNI has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,729 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Northern Iowa Social Sciences Report

#19 in overall quality

North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. North Dakota State University is a public institution located in Fargo, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 73 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University also took the #19 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,686 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend North Dakota State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Dakota State University Social Sciences Report

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UNL is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 197 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $16,197 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at UNL

#19

Bellevue University

Bellevue, Nebraska

Bellevue University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Bellevue, Nebraska, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 111 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bellevue University is $16,615 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Bellevue University

#20

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UND is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 90 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UND is $15,109 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UND

University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this fairly large public school handed out 106 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UNOMAHA is $13,833 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Nebraska at Omaha

#22

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

With a ranking of #22, Winona State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Winona State University is a medium-sized school located in Winona, Minnesota that handed out 42 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $15,140 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Winona State University Social Sciences Report

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 101 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,451 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Minnesota State Mankato.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Minnesota State Mankato

Northwest Missouri State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Maryville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northwest Missouri State University is $11,988 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Northwest Social Sciences Report

Fort Hays State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. FHSU is a fairly large public school situated in Hays, Kansas. It awarded 209 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FHSU is $12,549 for plains states region bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at FHSU

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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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