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2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

32 Ranked Colleges
6,920 Degrees Awarded
$23,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Massachusetts, there were 8,759 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,277 and $24,571 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,920 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 32 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools

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 Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences in Massachusetts (With Aid)

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #1 spot on the list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 558 students in 2019-2020.

Harvard also took the #1 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $15,386 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend Harvard.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Harvard University

#2

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Amherst College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Amherst is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 131 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid list, Amherst has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Amherst College is $18,524 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

The 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Amherst

#3

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Williams College is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 207 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Williams also took the #2 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $19,480 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Williams

#4

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wellesley College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Wellesley is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wellesley, Massachusetts. It awarded 168 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid list, Wellesley has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $22,087 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend Wellesley College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Wellesley Social Sciences Report

#5

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams, Massachusetts
#23 in overall quality

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts landed the #5 spot on the list. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is a small school located in North Adams, Massachusetts that handed out 34 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

MCLA also took the #23 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is $16,861 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Social Sciences at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

#6

Worcester State University

Worcester, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #6, Worcester State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Worcester State is located in Worcester, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Worcester State University is $19,492 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Worcester State

#7

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, Massachusetts

Fitchburg State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fitchburg State University is $16,001 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

Read more about Social Sciences at Fitchburg State University

#8

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts
#24 in overall quality

Westfield State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Westfield is located in Westfield, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Westfield, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Westfield is $19,167 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Westfield Social Sciences Report

#9

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#13 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this large public school handed out 681 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $22,501 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend UMass Amherst.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Massachusetts Amherst

#10

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Bridgewater State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bridgewater State University is located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 149 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $18,457 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend Bridgewater State University.

Read more about Social Sciences at Bridgewater State

#11

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #11, University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. UMass Boston is a public institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 306 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMass Boston is $18,340 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Massachusetts - Boston

#12

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
#20 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth is a medium-sized public school situated in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. It awarded 149 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid list, UMass Dartmouth has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $18,503 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend UMass Dartmouth.

Full UMass Dartmouth Social Sciences Report

#13

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Lowell came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. UMass Lowell is a public institution located in Lowell, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Lowell is $19,119 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMass Lowell Social Sciences Report

#14

Framingham State University

Framingham, Massachusetts

Framingham State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Framingham, Massachusetts, and it awarded 132 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Framingham State is $20,001 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Framingham State

#15

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Boston College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 533 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston College, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $35,899 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid per year to attend Boston College.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.

Full Boston College Social Sciences Report

#16

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #16, Salem State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Salem, Massachusetts, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,399 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid per year to attend Salem State University.

Read more about Social Sciences at Salem State

#17

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

Tufts University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Tufts University is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 475 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Tufts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Tufts University is $30,744 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Tufts

#18

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 741 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston U, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston University is $30,259 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

The low 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Boston University Social Sciences Report

#19

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, College of the Holy Cross did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. College of the Holy Cross is a small school located in Worcester, Massachusetts that handed out 265 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Holy Cross not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for College of the Holy Cross is $37,292 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

The impressive 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low 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%.

Full College of the Holy Cross Social Sciences Report

#20

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Wheaton College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Norton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Massachusetts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts is $26,809 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.

Full Wheaton College Massachusetts Social Sciences Report

#21

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Smith College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Northampton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 133 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid list, Smith has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Smith College is $28,305 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

The 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Smith College

#22

Lasell University

Newton, Massachusetts
#18 in overall quality

Lasell University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Newton, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Lasell also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Lasell University is $27,428 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

Full Lasell Social Sciences Report

#23

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

Mount Holyoke College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid list. Mount Holyoke College is a small school located in South Hadley, Massachusetts that handed out 145 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Mt. Holyoke also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Holyoke College is $27,149 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Mt. Holyoke Social Sciences Report

#24

Gordon College

Wenham, Massachusetts
#25 in overall quality

Gordon College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Gordon College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wenham, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gordon College, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Gordon College is $25,777 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Gordon College Social Sciences Report

#25

Simmons University

Boston, Massachusetts
#21 in overall quality

Simmons University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Getting Aid ranking. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid list, Simmons has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Simmons is $30,008 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a 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 Simmons University

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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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