2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Michigan

[General Social Sciences](/majors/social-sciences/general-social-sciences/social-sciences-general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 20 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general social sciences schools.
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2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Michigan
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general social sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Social Sciences Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Michigan Dearborn the best value for a degree in general social sciences in Michigan. Set in the city of Dearborn, University Of Michigan Dearborn is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,640 in tuition and fees, compared with $32,896 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general social sciences graduates is $38,850. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from University Of Michigan Dearborn generally make around $62,536. That is a strong return on a $38,850 median debt. Roughly 56% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Grand Valley State University one of the best values for general social sciences. Set in the town of Allendale, Grand Valley State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,502 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,894. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $27,400 in student loans. General Social Sciences graduates of Grand Valley State University earn a median of $43,217 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,400 median debt. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Michigan State University one of the best values for general social sciences. Michigan State University is a very large public school located in the city of East Lansing. In-state tuition and fees average $18,079, compared with $44,850 for out-of-state students. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $29,198 in student loans. General Social Sciences graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of $46,206 early in their careers. Set against $29,198 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Michigan State University admits about 85% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.