2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in New Jersey
[General Social Sciences](/majors/social-sciences/general-social-sciences/social-sciences-general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for general social sciences students.
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2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in New Jersey
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general social sciences degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Social Sciences Schools
Our analysis ranked Essex County College the best value for a degree in general social sciences in New Jersey. Set in the city of Newark, Essex County College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,415, compared with $9,523 for out-of-state students. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $5,851 in student loans. General Social Sciences graduates of Essex County College earn a median of $22,053 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $5,851 median debt.
Brookdale Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general social sciences, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Lincroft, Brookdale Community College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,270, with out-of-state students paying around $10,140. Students borrow a median of $9,500 to complete the general social sciences program here. General Social Sciences graduates of Brookdale Community College earn a median of $26,231 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in general social sciences will find it at Ramapo College Of New Jersey, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of Mahwah, Ramapo College Of New Jersey is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,777, while out-of-state students pay about $27,708. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $25,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from Ramapo College Of New Jersey generally make around $43,047. Set against $25,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 71%.
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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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
