2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Virginia

[General Social Sciences](/majors/social-sciences/general-social-sciences/social-sciences-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general social sciences education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 20 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general social sciences students.
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2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general social sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Social Sciences Schools
For return on investment in general social sciences, no school beat J Sargeant Reynolds Community College this year. Set in the suburb of Richmond, J Sargeant Reynolds Community College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,280, while out-of-state students pay about $11,718. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $12,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from J Sargeant Reynolds Community College generally make around $18,164. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Virginia Western Community College earned it the #2 place for general social sciences. Virginia Western Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Roanoke. Students from in state pay about $5,400 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $11,838. Students borrow a median of $9,128 to complete the general social sciences program here. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from Virginia Western Community College generally make around $19,220. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northern Virginia Community College earned it the #3 place for general social sciences. Northern Virginia Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Annandale. Students from in state pay about $5,891 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $12,410. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $10,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from Northern Virginia Community College generally make around $23,637. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Thomas Nelson Community College earned it the #4 place for general social sciences. Located in the suburb of Hampton, Thomas Nelson Community College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,088, with out-of-state students paying around $11,526. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $10,500 in student loans. General Social Sciences graduates of Thomas Nelson Community College earn a median of $25,478 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Tidewater Community College earned it the #5 place for general social sciences. Set in the city of Norfolk, Tidewater Community College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,858 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $12,296. Typical student debt for general social sciences graduates is $11,000. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from Tidewater Community College generally make around $29,425. That is a strong return on a $11,000 median debt.
The University Of Virginias College At Wise placed #6 among the best values for general social sciences. The University Of Virginias College At Wise is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Wise. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,780, with out-of-state students paying around $28,010. Students borrow a median of $17,714 to complete the general social sciences program here. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from The University Of Virginias College At Wise generally make around $43,988. Set against $17,714 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The University Of Virginias College At Wise admits about 28% of applicants.
Radford University landed the #7 spot for general social sciences value this year. Radford University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Radford. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,548, compared with $25,633 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the general social sciences program here. Soon after graduation, general social sciences degree recipients from Radford University generally make around $47,271. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Radford University admits about 90% of applicants.
More General Social Sciences Rankings
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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 7 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.