2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Social Sciences School for You
Out of the majors we analyze each year, social sciences was ranked 5th in Virginia. In fact, 7,636 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.
There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking. Our analysis looked at 22 schools in Virginia to see which programs offered the best value experiences for social sciences students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Social Sciences Schools
Our analysis found Northern Virginia Community College to be the best value school for social sciences students who want to pursue a degree in Virginia. Northern Virginia Community College is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Annandale.
Northern Virginia Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,565 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Social Sciences majors at Northern Virginia Community College take out an average of $11,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
Northern Virginia Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Old Dominion University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia list. Located in the midsize city of Norfolk, Old Dominion is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Old Dominion are $10,800 per year. Social Sciences majors at Old Dominion take out an average of $24,895 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $197, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means James Madison University is a great value for social sciences students. JMU is a very large public school located in the small city of Harrisonburg.
JMU undergraduate students pay an average of $12,638 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Social Sciences majors at JMU take out an average of $20,378 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $448.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, JMU also did well on our Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Out of the 22 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Virginia Tech are $14,174 per year. While working on their degree, social sciences majors at Virginia Tech accumulate an average of around $23,198 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $450.
Virginia Tech did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Christopher Newport University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia list. Located in the city of Newport News, CNU is a public college with a small student population.
CNU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,924 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, social sciences graduates from CNU carry an average student debtload of $24,150. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $427.
CNU also claimed a spot on our Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia list. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at University of Virginia are $19,785 a year. After completing their degree, social sciences graduates from University of Virginia carry an average student debtload of $18,255. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $386.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, University of Virginia is ranked #1 for overall quality for social sciences in Virginia.
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George Mason University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for social sciences students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GMU are $13,119 per year. The average amount in student loans that social sciences majors at GMU take out is $22,401. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $359, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
GMU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia list.
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University of Mary Washington came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Fredericksburg, UMW is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UMW are $13,800 a year. The average amount in student loans that social sciences majors at UMW take out is $24,746.
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Liberty University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for social sciences students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.
Liberty University undergraduate students pay an average of $16,160 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, social sciences majors at Liberty University accumulate an average of around $25,813 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #10, Radford University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social sciences students. Radford is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Radford.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Radford are $11,542 per year. Social Sciences majors at Radford take out an average of $25,414 in student loans while working on their egree.
Request InformationBest Value Social Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Value Social Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| North Carolina | 5,208 |
| West Virginia | 788 |
| Mississippi | 722 |
| South Carolina | 1,876 |
| Florida | 8,162 |
| Arkansas | 897 |
| Alabama | 1,640 |
| Kentucky | 1,344 |
| Georgia | 3,932 |
| Tennessee | 2,210 |
| Louisiana | 1,534 |
More Social Sciences Rankings in Virginia
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 |
Majors Similar 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 22 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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