by our College Data Analytics Team
[Social Psychology](/majors/psychology/child-development-psychology/social-psychology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 6 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for social psychology students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the social psychology degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in social psychology, no school beat Jackson Community College this year. Jackson Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Jackson. In-state tuition and fees average $7,350, while out-of-state students pay about $10,200. Typical student debt for social psychology graduates is $16,960. Early-career social psychology graduates make about $41,322. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Ball State University one of the best values for social psychology. Set in the city of Muncie, Ball State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,082 in tuition and fees, compared with $29,630 for out-of-state students. Social Psychology graduates carry a median of $24,518 in student loans. Early-career social psychology graduates make about $47,863. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Tiffin University earned it the #3 place for social psychology. Set in the town of Tiffin, Tiffin University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $34,790. Students borrow a median of $30,977 to complete the social psychology program here. Early-career social psychology graduates make about $51,326. Set against $30,977 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
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This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.