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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences in Virginia

26 Ranked Colleges
5,679 Degrees Awarded
$21,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

With 205,726 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, social sciences is the 5th most popular major in the United States. 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 Virginia, there were 7,884 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,679 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia” ranking analyzed 26 colleges that offered a degree 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia” list to help you make the college decision.

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 for a Bachelor’s in Virginia

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia.

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

#1

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Tech. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 662 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $21,198 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Virginia Tech Social Sciences Report

#2

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 1,033 students in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $20,397 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#3

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 364 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

JMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend JMU is $22,169 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

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

Full JMU Social Sciences Report

#4

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend George Mason University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia. Fairfax, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 555 students in 2019-2020.

GMU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for George Mason University is $21,048 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at George Mason University

#5

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Christopher Newport University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia. CNU is a small public school situated in Newport News, Virginia. It awarded 187 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

CNU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $25,596 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend CNU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CNU Social Sciences Report

#6

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

Virginia Military Institute did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Lexington, Virginia, this small public school awarded 100 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at VMI, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend VMI is $17,804 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Virginia Military Institute

#7

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia
#14 in overall quality

Old Dominion University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Old Dominion University is a public institution located in Norfolk, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 422 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Old Dominion not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Old Dominion University is $16,493 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

Full Old Dominion University Social Sciences Report

#8

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

University of Mary Washington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking, coming in at #8. University of Mary Washington is a public institution located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 163 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMW, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMW is $21,907 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Full UMW Social Sciences Report

#13 in overall quality

Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 325 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, VCU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Commonwealth University is $22,021 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at VCU

#10

Radford University

Radford, Virginia
#20 in overall quality

Radford University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking, coming in at #10. Radford University is a fairly large public school situated in Radford, Virginia. It awarded 100 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Radford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Radford is $16,447 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

Full Radford University Social Sciences Report

#11

Longwood University

Farmville, Virginia
#16 in overall quality

Longwood University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Farmville, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 67 students in 2019-2020.

Longwood also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Longwood University is $19,462 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

Full Longwood University Social Sciences Report

#12

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

William & Mary did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking, coming in at #12. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 464 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $19,800 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full William & Mary Social Sciences Report

#13

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia
#24 in overall quality

Virginia State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking, coming in at #13. Virginia State is a public institution located in Petersburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $16,970 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Virginia State University.

Full Virginia State University Social Sciences Report

#14

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia
#21 in overall quality

Liberty University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Liberty University is a large school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 211 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Liberty University, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Liberty University is $28,903 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

Read more about Social Sciences at Liberty University

#15

Virginia Union University

Richmond, Virginia

With a ranking of #15, Virginia Union University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. VUU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Virginia Union University is $21,813 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

Full VUU Social Sciences Report

#16

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#25 in overall quality

Regent University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. This fairly large school is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Regent also took the #25 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Regent is $15,267 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

Full Regent Social Sciences Report

#17

Emory and Henry College

Emory, Virginia
#15 in overall quality

Emory and Henry College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. Emory & Henry College is located in Emory, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Emory & Henry College also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Emory and Henry College is $18,593 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

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 Emory & Henry College Social Sciences Report

#18

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia
#19 in overall quality

Marymount University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Arlington, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

Marymount also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Marymount is $26,078 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

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%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Marymount

#19

Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
#22 in overall quality

Virginia Wesleyan University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. This small school is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

VWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $23,425 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend VWU.

Read more about Social Sciences at VWU

#20

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia
#18 in overall quality

Bridgewater College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking, coming in at #20. Bridgewater is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bridgewater, Virginia. It awarded 35 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, Bridgewater has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $17,929 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend Bridgewater.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Bridgewater College

#21

Randolph - Macon College

Ashland, Virginia
#10 in overall quality

Randolph - Macon College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. Located in Ashland, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 60 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

Randolph - Macon also took the #10 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $26,370 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Randolph - Macon.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Randolph - Macon College Social Sciences Report

#22

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia
#23 in overall quality

University of Lynchburg came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. This small school is located in Lynchburg, Virginia, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, Lynchburg has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lynchburg is $23,207 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.

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.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Lynchburg

#23

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia
#11 in overall quality

Roanoke College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. This small school is located in Salem, Virginia, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Roanoke also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Roanoke College is $25,135 for virginia bachelor’s degree social sciences students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Roanoke College Social Sciences Report

#24

Hampden - Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, Virginia
#17 in overall quality

Hampden - Sydney College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia list. This small school is located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Hampden - Sydney not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Hampden - Sydney is $31,227 for virginia 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%. 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.

Read more about Social Sciences at Hampden - Sydney

#25

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

University of Richmond landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia ranking. University of Richmond is located in University of Richmond, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 121 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

URichmond also took the #4 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $25,838 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend URichmond.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Richmond

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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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