2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in South Carolina

[General Social Sciences](/majors/social-sciences/general-social-sciences/social-sciences-general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general social sciences students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in South Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general social sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Social Sciences Schools
University Of South Carolina Beaufort earned the #1 spot for value among general social sciences schools in South Carolina. University Of South Carolina Beaufort is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Bluffton. Students from in state pay about $10,730 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,776. Students borrow a median of $37,500 to complete the general social sciences program here. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from University Of South Carolina Beaufort generally make around $32,682. Set against $37,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 72%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Allen University earned it the #2 place for general social sciences. Set in the city of Columbia, Allen University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $14,304 in tuition and fees. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $38,198 in student loans. Early-career general social sciences graduates make about $23,095. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Allen University admits about 72% of applicants.
Charleston Southern University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general social sciences, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Charleston, Charleston Southern University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $32,520. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $26,955 in student loans. Early-career general social sciences graduates make about $23,797. Set against $26,955 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Charleston Southern University admits about 96% of applicants.
More General Social Sciences Rankings
View All General Social Sciences Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 7 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.