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2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts

33 Ranked Colleges
6,920 Degrees Awarded
$23,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Massachusetts

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Social Sciences is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 205,726 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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” ranking looked at 33 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The social sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts

The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences in Massachusetts

#1

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts
#24 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Westfield State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts. Westfield is a public institution located in Westfield, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Westfield did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $19,167 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend Westfield State University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Westfield Social Sciences Report

#2

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams, Massachusetts
#23 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is located in North Adams, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MCLA, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $16,861 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend MCLA.

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.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

#3

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#13 in overall quality

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 681 bachelors’s social sciences degrees 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 per year to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at UMass Amherst

#4

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, Massachusetts

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, Fitchburg State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Fitchburg State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. 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.

Full Fitchburg State University Social Sciences Report

#5

Worcester State University

Worcester, Massachusetts

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts that were part of this year’s ranking, Worcester State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school awarded 87 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,492 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Worcester State.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Worcester State

#6

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 ranking, coming in at #6. Framingham State University is a small school located in Framingham, Massachusetts that handed out 132 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,001 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Framingham State.

Full Framingham State Social Sciences Report

#7

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Bridgewater State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts 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 per year to attend Bridgewater State.

Full Bridgewater State University Social Sciences Report

#8

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
#20 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #8. Located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school awarded 149 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

UMass Dartmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $18,503 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend UMass Dartmouth.

Full University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth Social Sciences Report

University of Massachusetts - Lowell did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #9. UMass Lowell is a fairly large public school situated in Lowell, Massachusetts. It awarded 94 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell is $19,119 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 full report on Social Sciences at University of Massachusetts - Lowell

#10

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Salem State University is located in Salem, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Salem State University is $18,399 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Salem State University

#11

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Boston came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. This fairly large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 306 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMass Boston is $18,340 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

Full UMass Boston Social Sciences Report

Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #12. Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network is a fairly large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 9 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

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 Northeastern University Professional Advancement Network

#13

Gordon College

Wenham, Massachusetts
#25 in overall quality

Gordon College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Gordon College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wenham, Massachusetts. It awarded 58 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Gordon College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Gordon College is $25,777 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Gordon College

#14

Lasell University

Newton, Massachusetts
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Lasell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Lasell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Newton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, Lasell has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $27,428 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Lasell.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Lasell

#15

Simmons University

Boston, Massachusetts
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Simmons University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Simmons also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Simmons is $30,008 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

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 full report on Social Sciences at Simmons University

#16

Assumption University

Worcester, Massachusetts
#17 in overall quality

Assumption University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 89 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Assumption also took the #17 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Assumption University is $28,466 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Assumption University

#17

Emmanuel College Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Emmanuel College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Emmanuel College Massachusetts is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 67 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, Emmanuel Boston has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $28,314 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend Emmanuel College Massachusetts.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 full report on Social Sciences at Emmanuel Boston

#18

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Williams College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 207 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, Williams has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $19,480 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend Williams College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Williams

#19

Clark University

Worcester, Massachusetts
#22 in overall quality

Clark University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. This small school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 143 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Clark did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Clark is $28,805 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Clark University Social Sciences Report

#20

Suffolk University

Boston, Massachusetts
#19 in overall quality

Suffolk University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts 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 186 students in 2019-2020.

Suffolk also took the #19 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Suffolk is $30,701 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 full report on Social Sciences at Suffolk University

#21

Stonehill College

Easton, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

Stonehill College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking. Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Easton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 141 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, Stonehill has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stonehill is $34,658 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Stonehill College

#22

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, College of the Holy Cross did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution located in Worcester, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 265 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, Holy Cross has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Holy Cross is $37,292 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Holy Cross Social Sciences Report

#23

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Mount Holyoke College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Mt. Holyoke is a small school located in South Hadley, Massachusetts that handed out 145 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Mt. Holyoke also took the #12 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $27,149 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend Mt. Holyoke.

The 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. 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%.

Full Mt. Holyoke Social Sciences Report

#24

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Wheaton College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts list. Norton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 107 students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Massachusetts also took the #14 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts is $26,809 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Wheaton College Massachusetts Social Sciences Report

#25

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

Harvard University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts ranking, coming in at #25. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $15,386 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Harvard University Social Sciences Report

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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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