### SUMMARY

 Choosing to study Social Sciences is not only a valuable choice, but usually a needed first step for scholars endeavoring to begin a career as a social services specialist, a policy advisor, or a digital court reporter. In fact, social sciences is of average popularity coming in at the 68th most popular area of study. In the last year, there were 6,806 social sciences diplomas received. In-state tuition for social sciences at private colleges is, on average, 3.9 times more spendy than their public equivalents.

 There are 343 colleges which offer social sciences. This number of institutions is on par with other majors offered in the United States. If you're hoping to surround yourself with other social sciences students, consider schools in New York which have more undergraduates admitted to social sciences than any other state. More generally, the best region to study social sciences is in the Far West region with [University of Oregon](/colleges/university-of-oregon), [Portland State University](/colleges/portland-state-university), and [Washington State University](/colleges/washington-state-university) best representing the region. Interestingly, our pick for the best conference to study social sciences is the Pacific-12 Conference with [University of Oregon](/colleges/university-of-oregon), [University of Utah](/colleges/university-of-utah), and [Washington State University](/colleges/washington-state-university) representing the conference. Based on our list on the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges), our belief is that the best college for social sciences is [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university).

 The overall 'best' school is not necessarily the best school for you. There can be many more perspectives to consider when choosing ​university. Features like campus amenities, transportation services, and food might definitely change your feelings on which college to attend. At Authority, we've weighed the pros and cons for you. If, as an example, you are interested in which social sciences school is home to the top college campus, the winner is [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university). If, for example, you are mostly interested in which college boasts the finest campus, we have a whole page [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through government databases, professor reviews, student reviews, and more so we can compare all U.S. majors in an unbiased and informative way. Here you can find our well researched list for the schools with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbspand from that list, our pick for the school with the best student life for social sciences is [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/colleges/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor). Are you curious why? Continue scrolling to learn more about Authority's top choices. Some of our picks might shock you.

 If cost is a primary influence in your choice of where you attend university, you might consider avoiding [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california). [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspis the most expensive university for social sciences, at least regarding out of state attendance. We do have an entire page for the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspcolleges that could put the price tag of [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspinto perspective. You may also be interested to know that social sciences is the 226th most expensive major in the United States, with an average cost of $29,000. On a broader scale, the most costly state for social sciences in the nation is Louisiana demonstrated by a tuition of $52,760 at the main school in Louisiana Tulane University of Louisiana. Even more broadly, the most expensive region for social sciences is the New England region which is best demonstrated with [University of Bridgeport](/colleges/university-of-bridgeport) with a cost of $31,920, [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university) with a cost of $47,730, and [Providence College](/colleges/providence-college) with a cost of $51,490.

 Our cheapest region for social sciences is the Plains region which is represented by [Bellevue University](/colleges/bellevue-university) with a cost of $7,176, [Dickinson State University](/colleges/dickinson-state-university) with a cost of $9,782, and [Oglala Lakota College](/colleges/oglala-lakota-college) with a cost of $2,016. More optimistically, the most affordable college for social sciences is [University of South Florida-Sarasota-Manatee](/colleges/university-of-south-florida-sarasota-manatee). Authority's full list of the most affordable colleges can be explored [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state students can anticipate paying about $9,100 for a degree in social sciences. The cost inflates intensely to an average of $20,200 for an out-of-state public-school student. On that note, our selection for the college representing the best value for social sciences: [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university). Through this link you can find our comprehensive list for the colleges we see as being the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspin general. That being said, this idea is based on out-of-state tuition costs. The value proposition changes when in-state tuition is considered, but we do not know in which states any one student has residency.

 Earnings for social sciences majors vary a lot, but within two years graduation graduates will typically make around $41,100. There can be much variation in salary; top positions can enjoy pay up to $68,100. Even right out of university, the lowest end positions within the social sciences space earn $24,100, which isn't that bad. The highest earning grads from social sciences graduated from [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university)&nbspand if you want to find the colleges with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), Authority has that too.

 The overall diversity of social sciences ranks decent, falling in the 73rd percentile of all majors. The school with the most composite diversity for social sciences is [New York University](/colleges/new-york-university)&nbspand here you can find our general list of the schools which have the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The overall financial diversity of Social Sciences is only within the 42nd percentile compared to all other majors. Racial diversity is actually above financial diversity, ranking in the 71st percentile. White students compose the largest share, 55%, of students majoring in social sciences. Additionally, 66% of students pursuing a social sciences major are women.

 The median score of social sciences professors is 4.1 stars, a score that is 2% higher than the median for all majors; which is a good score. If you are interested in the most popular social sciences professor in the nation, consider looking up Norma Schropshire from [Wayne State University](/colleges/wayne-state-university). It might come as a surprise, but the best ranked instructors for social sciences by student come from [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california). If we including data beyond simply rankings it becomes clear that the university with comprehensively the best instructors for social sciences is [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university). You can find more detail on our evolving ranking methodology for the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), as well as some of the finest instructors nationwide.

 Finally, the hardest school to get into for social sciences is [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university). While we think of this list more as a novelty, we have a general list of the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). That being said, we do hope you understand that considering the education process from examples primarily shaped by superlatives could be said to be the root of many of higher education's fundamental issues. We hope you explore our other pages on different schools and read some of Authority's helpful background articles on beneficial things to think about as your college search continues.



 ### POPULARITY

 Social sciences is the 68th most popular degree in America, with 6,806 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #69 [Animal Sciences](/rankings/best-colleges-for-animal-sciences), and narrowly lost to #67 [Information Technology Administration and Management](/rankings/best-colleges-for-information-technology-administration-and-management).

 The degree is offered at a total of 343 colleges across the nation, and is the 66th most widely offered degree. It is only offered at 18% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America.

 It is also worth noting that 64% of colleges offering social sciences are public making it a quite accessible field.

 The far west produces the most social sciences graduates, largely led by [University of Oregon](/colleges/university-of-oregon), while it’s the Pacific-12 Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, New York ranks highest, with particular help from [Bard College](/colleges/bard-college) and [Mercy College](/colleges/mercy-college).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more social sciences graduates than [Arizona Western College](/colleges/arizona-western-college), which graduated 391 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study social sciences). More students studied social sciences as a percentage of total students at [Bard College](/colleges/bard-college) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Social sciences is the 226th most expensive degree in the US, with a median cost of $28,968 amongst the top 50 programs (just ahead of #227, [Human Development and Family Studies](rankings/best-colleges-for-human-development-and-family-studies), with a median cost of $28,911).

 New England has the most expensive colleges with top 50 social sciences programs led by [University of Bridgeport](/colleges/university-of-bridgeport) with an annual cost of $31,920. Louisiana is the most expensive state for social sciences led by [Tulane University of Louisiana](/colleges/tulane-university-of-louisiana).

 Public schools with good programs generally charge 74.63% less than private schools for in-state students. When looking at out-of-state tuition however, the median top 50 Public school charges 43.42% less than the median private school. So be sure to check out public shools in your state sooner rather than later.

 The most expensive top 25 college for social sciences is [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california), which is the 14th most expensive college in the United States. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [Oglala Lakota College](/colleges/oglala-lakota-college). It costs just $2,016 per year, but it's ranked 94th for its social sciences program. If you’re looking for the least expensive option in the top 25, [University of South Florida-Sarasota-Manatee](/colleges/university-of-south-florida-sarasota-manatee)  might be for you, ranked #21 with an in-state cost of just $4,206. Another more affordable pick would be #18, [University of South Florida-Main Campus](/colleges/university-of-south-florida-main-campus) in Hillsborough County, FL with a cost of $4,559 for in-state students and $15,473 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Going to college is a massive investment for most undergraduates. It is critical to make sure you increase your earning power. We aim for the following earnings and job placement info to guide you in making an intelligent decision when selecting your major.

 The average Social Sciences student makes a first year salary of $34,440 per year (bottom 39%). With experience in their careers, they commonly make anywhere between $24,061 and $68,054, but average near $41,104. Just so you know, that is 6% more than the nation wide average.

 The most popular job for a Social Sciences graduate is Service Representative, which generally make approximately $22,000; next are Analyst and Account Executive, which often earn roughly $54,000 and $36,000 respectively.

 The highest grossing region for Social Sciences graduates is New England. The highest earning state for Social Sciences graduates is MA. The best paid conference for Social Sciences graduates is Ivy League.



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Social Sciences: Median Professor Rating: 4.1 / 5, which is above average.

 Professors again and again play an astronomical role in shaping your college experience, regardless of your primary focus. A thoughtful teacher may help a student find their passion and even make a difficult subject seem fun. On the other hand, an ineffective professor can derail your development or even worse... fail you!

 Social Sciences professors have a median student rating of 4.1 out of 5, putting these professors in the top 40th percentile in America grounded in student approval. For context that's 2.5% greater than the national median professor rating for all subjects. Professors of Social Sciences slightly out-ranked those from ["Global Studies"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-global-studies), whereas ["General Studies"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-general-studies)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Social Sciences.

 Now for some statistics about Social Sciences professors. Colleges located in remote rural areas tend to have the best Social Sciences professors. The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference has the highest rated Social Sciences professors. The Southeast region has the highest rated Social Sciences professors. Private colleges tend to have higher rated Social Sciences professors than public schools. Finally, Wyoming has the highest rated Social Sciences professors in America.

 Norma Schropshire, instructor at [Wayne State University](/colleges/wayne-state-university)&nbspin Detroit, MI is the most popular Social Sciences professor in the US. Frank Greenagel, professor at [Rutgers University-New Brunswick](/colleges/rutgers-university-new-brunswick)&nbspin New Brunswick, NJ is the highest rated Social Sciences professor in the nation, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 See which colleges have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College often can be a vastly formative adventure in one's life; it's an occasion for personal progress and expansion. Students try to figure out their values and learn many of the needed skills to become a prosperous adult. But growth goes far beyond a classroom environment - the interactions one has with their peers, the funny story received from an eccentric professor, the exposure to a different vantage point. As such, a diverse campus greatly enhances what one gains from the time spent at college.

 Social Sciences is a more ethnically diverse subject than average\*. 55% of the US' Social Sciences majors are white students, followed by latino students (17%), black students (14%), and students of other races\*\*(9%). The most racially diverse college\* in the top 100 is [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspin Los Angeles, CA.

 Furthermore, Social Sciences significatly skews female, with nearly 2/3 of students majoring in Social Sciences identifying as women. The most gender balanced school in the top 100 is [Providence College](/colleges/providence-college) in Providence, RI.

 Another significant type of diversity is economic diversity. Social Sciences is around the middle of the pack for economic diversity (58th percentile). 31% of its majors come from families bringing in less than $30,000 a year, 17% are from families that earn between $30,000 and $48,000 a year, and 22% grew up in very high income families. [Western Oregon University](/colleges/western-oregon-university) has the most fiscally diverse student body in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall CT is the most diverse state for Social Sciences. The Far West is the most diverse region, and the University Athletic Association is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 5%
* Black: 14%
* Latino: 17%
* White: 55%
* Other: 9%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 34%
* Female: 66%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 31%
* 30k - 48k: 17%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 14%
* Over 110k: 22%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 70%
* Out of State: 26%
* International: 4%


Columbia University in the City of New York

Yale University

Harvard University

Goddard College

Vanderbilt University

Stanford University

Johns Hopkins University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

University of California-Los Angeles

Georgetown University

Northwestern University

University of Virginia-Main Campus

University of Pennsylvania

Princeton University

University of Notre Dame

Brown University

Duke University

University of Chicago

Carnegie Mellon University

Washington University in St Louis

Dartmouth College

Pomona College

Rice University

Muhlenberg College

University of Southern California

Search for the best Social Sciences colleges according to your filter parameters.

2023 Social Sciences Professors

There are about 117,405 students enrolled in Social Sciences in the USA.

PROFESSORS