2023 Best Value Social Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Social Sciences Doctor's Degree School for You
With 205,984 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, social sciences is the #6 most popular major in the United States.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Social Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools ranking. This report analyzed 168 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value doctor's degree programs for social sciences students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality for a Doctorate in Social Sciences
Our 2023 rankings named The Graduate Center, CUNY the best value school in the United States for social sciences students working on their doctor’s degree. The Graduate Center is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of New York.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at The Graduate Center are $23,640 per year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, The Graduate Center also is in the top 5% of our Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Capella University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Minneapolis, Capella University is a private for-profit school with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Capella University are $14,784 per year.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at NIU are $11,390 per year.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means South Dakota State University is a great value for social sciences students working on their doctor’s degree. South Dakota State is a large public school located in the town of Brookings.
South Dakota State graduate students pay an average of $16,917 in tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its great value ranking, South Dakota State is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools list.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Delaware is a great value for social sciences students working on their doctor’s degree. UD is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Newark.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UD are $18,128 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UD also did well on our Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for social sciences students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. University of Akron Main Campus is a large public school located in the midsize city of Akron.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at University of Akron Main Campus are $11,936 per year.
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University of South Dakota landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree social sciences programs. Located in the distant town of Vermillion, USD is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
USD graduate students pay an average of $12,768 in tuition and fees each year.
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With a ranking of #8, Texas Woman’s University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social sciences students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in the midsize city of Denton, TWU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at TWU are $15,048 per year.
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Teachers College at Columbia University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for social sciences students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the large city of New York, Teachers College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Teachers College are $35,054 a year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Teachers College also is in the top 5% of our Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking.
Full Social Sciences at Teachers College at Columbia University Report
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Texas State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree social sciences programs. Located in the small city of San Marcos, Texas State is a public college with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Texas State are $17,220 per year.
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University of California - Berkeley landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree social sciences programs. UC Berkeley is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UC Berkeley are $29,262 per year.
UC Berkeley also claimed a spot on our Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
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Cornell University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree social sciences programs. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca.
Cornell graduate students pay an average of $30,006 in tuition and fees each year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Cornell also did well on our Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for social sciences students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #13 on the list. IUP is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Indiana.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at IUP are $18,207 a year.
Full Social Sciences at Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus Report
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Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. Located in the town of Bowling Green, BGSU is a public school with a large student population.
BGSU graduate students pay an average of $15,823 in tuition and fees each year.
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University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree social sciences programs. UW - Madison is a very large public school located in the large city of Madison.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UW - Madison are $25,501 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UW - Madison also did well on our Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Full Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison Report
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The University of Texas at Austin came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. UT Austin is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Austin.
UT Austin graduate students pay an average of $22,944 in tuition and fees each year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UT Austin also did well on our Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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University of North Texas landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value doctor’s degree social sciences programs. Located in the city of Denton, UNT is a public college with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UNT are $15,600 a year.
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University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Located in the large city of Lincoln, UNL is a public college with a fairly large student population.
UNL graduate students pay an average of $19,541 in tuition and fees each year.
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Loyola University Chicago came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Loyola Chicago are $19,894 a year.
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University of California - Los Angeles came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. UCLA is a very large public school located in the city of Los Angeles.
UCLA graduate students pay an average of $28,138 in tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its great value ranking, UCLA is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools list.
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Colorado School of Mines did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for social sciences students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #21 on the list. Mines is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Golden.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Mines are $40,844 per year.
Mines excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools list.
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With a ranking of #21, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social sciences students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public school with a fairly large student population.
University of Virginia graduate students pay an average of $33,520 in tuition and fees each year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, University of Virginia also did well on our Best Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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University of North Carolina at Charlotte came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools ranking. UNC Charlotte is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Charlotte.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at UNC Charlotte are $21,147 per year.
Full Social Sciences at University of North Carolina at Charlotte Report
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University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for social sciences students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #23 on the list. USF Tampa is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Tampa.
USF Tampa graduate students pay an average of $21,126 in tuition and fees each year.
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Texas Tech University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools list. Texas Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Lubbock.
Texas Tech graduate students pay an average of $17,698 in tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Texas Tech University
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Here are some additional great value schools for Social Sciences students seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Social Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Yale University | New Haven, CT |
| 27 | Rice University | Houston, TX |
| 28 | Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA |
| 29 | Cleveland State University | Cleveland, OH |
| 30 | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA |
| 31 | University of California - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 32 | University of Houston | Houston, TX |
| 32 | San Diego State University | San Diego, CA |
| 32 | University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY |
| 32 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA |
| 32 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA |
Social Sciences by Region
View the Best Value Social Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Social Sciences Rankings
Majors Related to Social Sciences
Social Sciences Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Political Science & Government | 49,282 |
| Economics | 49,055 |
| Sociology | 38,475 |
| General Social Sciences | 18,997 |
| International Relations & National Security | 14,306 |
| Anthropology | 11,415 |
| Criminology | 11,039 |
| Geography & Cartography | 8,526 |
| Other Social Sciences | 2,414 |
| Urban Studies | 1,507 |
| Sociology & Anthropology | 541 |
| Archeology | 339 |
| Demography & Population Studies | 88 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Social Sciences
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Education | 327,871 |
| Psychology | 195,678 |
| Communication & Journalism | 120,571 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 55,820 |
| History | 32,731 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to AndrГ© KГјnzelmann.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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