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2023 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in Pennsylvania

48 Ranked Colleges
8,215 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 8,215 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,140 and $25,861 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 48 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social sciences programs and 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.

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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 in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in Pennsylvania

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 642 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $12,020 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 UPenn

2
Haverford crest
Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Haverford College landed the #2 spot on the list. Haverford, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 92 students in 2020-2021.

Haverford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Haverford is $17,402 for pennsylvania social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Haverford

3
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Swarthmore College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 98 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

Swarthmore not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Swarthmore is $11,521 for Pennsylvania 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 86%. 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Swarthmore

4
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Out of the 48 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Carnegie Mellon University landed the #4 spot on the list. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 102 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carnegie Mellon, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon University is $21,526 for pennsylvania 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 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%. 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.

Read more about Social Sciences at Carnegie Mellon

5
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lafayette College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lafayette College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Easton, Pennsylvania. It awarded 239 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lafayette, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lafayette is $13,393 for pennsylvania social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 Lafayette Social Sciences Report

6
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Gettysburg is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 184 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Gettysburg also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $18,391 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Gettysburg College.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Gettysburg

7
Lycoming crest
Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Lycoming College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Lycoming College is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Lycoming also took the #13 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lycoming College is $19,005 for pennsylvania social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Lycoming College Social Sciences Report

8
Dickinson crest
Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #8, Dickinson College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dickinson College is a small school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania that handed out 158 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Dickinson has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dickinson College is $19,300 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Dickinson Social Sciences Report

9

Cheyney University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is located in Cheyney, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Cheyney University of Pennsylvania is $14,512 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Cheyney University of Pennsylvania Social Sciences Report

10
Saint Vincent crest
Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, Pennsylvania

Saint Vincent College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Saint Vincent College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. It awarded 61 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Saint Vincent also took the #15 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Vincent is $19,682 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Saint Vincent College

11
Franklin and Marshall crest
Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Franklin and Marshall College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Franklin and Marshall is a small school located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that handed out 156 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Franklin and Marshall has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $18,814 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Franklin and Marshall College.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Social Sciences at Franklin and Marshall College

12
SRU crest
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 117 ’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

SRU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for SRU is $19,050 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at SRU

13
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large public school awarded 394 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

Temple also made our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $21,568 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Temple.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Temple University Social Sciences Report

14
Allegheny crest
Allegheny College
Meadville, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #14, Allegheny College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Meadville, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 67 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Allegheny has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Allegheny is $21,460 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 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%.

Full Allegheny College Social Sciences Report

15
Albright crest
Albright College
Reading, Pennsylvania

Albright College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Reading, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s social sciences degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,867 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Albright.

Full Albright College Social Sciences Report

16
HACC crest
Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg Area Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Harrisburg Area Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 70 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Harrisburg Area Community College is $12,773 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Harrisburg Area Community College Social Sciences Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Pitt is a large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 680 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Pitt also took the #8 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $24,139 for pennsylvania social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus.

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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Social Sciences Report

18
Cal U crest
California University of Pennsylvania
California, Pennsylvania

California University of Pennsylvania landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal U is a public institution located in California, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 105 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal U is $18,197 for pennsylvania social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full California University of Pennsylvania Social Sciences Report

19

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. IUP is a medium-sized public school situated in Indiana, Pennsylvania. It awarded 343 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

IUP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is $22,726 for pennsylvania social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Social Sciences at IUP

20
Cabrini University crest
Cabrini University
Radnor, Pennsylvania

Cabrini University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Radnor, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 42 degrees to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

Cabrini University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cabrini University is $20,632 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Social Sciences at Cabrini University

21
Pitt Johnstown crest
University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown
Johnstown, Pennsylvania

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown is a small public school situated in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 32 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Pitt Johnstown is $17,271 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown

22
Edinboro crest
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro, Pennsylvania

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 47 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,208 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Edinboro.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

23
YCP crest
York College of Pennsylvania
York, Pennsylvania

York College of Pennsylvania landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. YCP is a private not-for-profit institution located in York, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $20,717 for pennsylvania social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend York College of Pennsylvania.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full YCP Social Sciences Report

24
Bloomsburg crest
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 81 diplomas to qualified ’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Bloomsburg is $19,879 for Pennsylvania Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Bloomsburg Social Sciences Report

25
WCUPA crest
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania

West Chester University of Pennsylvania landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 93 ’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for WCUPA is $19,085 for pennsylvania social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full West Chester University of Pennsylvania Social Sciences Report

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