Social Sciences: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Social Sciences is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding human behavior, societal structures, and the complex dynamics that shape communities and civilizations. This program equips students with analytical tools and theoretical frameworks drawn from multiple disciplines to examine patterns of interaction, power, identity, and change across cultures and historical periods.
- Anthropology: The study of human societies, cultures, and their development over time, including both material and symbolic aspects of life.
- Economics: The analysis of how individuals, organizations, and governments allocate resources and make decisions in the face of scarcity.
- Geography: The exploration of spatial relationships, environmental systems, and the interplay between human activity and physical landscapes.
- Political Science: The examination of political systems, institutions, power structures, governance, and the processes of decision-making at local, national, and global levels.
- Sociology: The systematic study of social relationships, group behavior, social institutions, and the forces that influence individual and collective actions.
- History: The critical investigation of past events, developments, and societal transformations through primary sources and interpretive methodologies.
Social Sciences Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Social Sciences Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Social Sciences degrees, including Managers, All Other, Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other and Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 1,790,970 professionals.
National Average Salaries
| Occupation | Median Salary | Salary Range | Total Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other 11-9199 | $136,550 | $68,860 - $227,590 | 630,980 | $65.65 |
| Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other 19-3099 | $100,340 | $62,570 - $160,810 | 36,970 | $48.24 |
| Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other 25-1069 | $75,040 | $45,280 - $176,350 | 17,540 | N/A |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education 25-2031 | $64,580 | $47,330 - $104,670 | 1,072,540 | N/A |
| Social Science Research Assistants 19-4061 | $58,040 | $36,410 - $100,620 | 32,940 | $27.90 |
Social Sciences Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $62,305 in Tennessee to $122,865 in Delaware—a 97% difference. The highest-paying states include Delaware, California, and Virginia. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 1,790,970 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.
Average Salary Range:
Top Universities for Social Sciences by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 100 institutions offering Social Sciences programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Social Sciences is found at East Los Angeles College (ELAC) (952 graduates), Sierra College (534 graduates), College of the Canyons (529 graduates), American River College (ARC) (400 graduates), and Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) (366 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 14,000 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.
| College Name | Award Levels | Graduates | Location | Control | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Los Angeles College (ELAC) |
Associate's
|
952 | Monterey Park, California | Public | elac.edu |
| Sierra College |
Associate's
|
534 | Rocklin, California | Public | sierracollege.edu |
| College of the Canyons |
Associate's
Other Award
|
529 | Santa Clarita, California | Public | canyons.edu |
| American River College (ARC) |
Associate's
|
400 | Sacramento, California | Public | arc.losrios.edu |
| Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) |
Associate's
|
366 | Santa Rosa, California | Public | santarosa.edu |
| Antelope Valley Community College District (AVCCD) |
Associate's
|
365 | Lancaster, California | Public | avc.edu |
| Mt San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) |
Associate's
|
354 | Walnut, California | Public | mtsac.edu |
| Ohlone College |
Associate's
|
347 | Fremont, California | Public | ohlone.edu |
| Vanderbilt University (VU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
315 | Nashville, Tennessee | Private | vanderbilt.edu |
| Florida State University (FSU) |
Bachelor's
|
296 | Tallahassee, Florida | Public | fsu.edu |
| J Sargeant Reynolds Community College |
Associate's
|
292 | Richmond, Virginia | Public | reynolds.edu |
| Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) |
Associate's
Other Award
|
284 | Annandale, Virginia | Public | nvcc.edu |
| Butte College |
Associate's
|
283 | Oroville, California | Public | butte.edu |
| Portland State University (PSU) |
Bachelor's
|
277 | Portland, Oregon | Public | pdx.edu |
| Brookdale Community College |
Associate's
|
266 | Lincroft, New Jersey | Public | brookdalecc.edu |
| Shasta College |
Associate's
|
264 | Redding, California | Public | shastacollege.edu |
| Folsom Lake College (FLC) |
Associate's
|
263 | Folsom, California | Public | flc.losrios.edu |
| University of Oregon (UO) |
Bachelor's
|
262 | Eugene, Oregon | Public | uoregon.edu |
| Tulsa Community College (TCC) |
Associate's
|
244 | Tulsa, Oklahoma | Public | tulsacc.edu |
| Palomar College |
Associate's
|
240 | San Marcos, California | Public | www2.palomar.edu |
| Washington State University (WSU) |
Bachelor's
|
228 | Pullman, Washington | Public | wsu.edu |
| University of Chicago (UChicago) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
211 | Chicago, Illinois | Private | uchicago.edu |
| Woodland Community College (WCC) |
Associate's
|
196 | Woodland, California | Public | wcc.yccd.edu |
| Merced College |
Associate's
|
188 | Merced, California | Public | mccd.edu |
| University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) |
Certificate (≥2 yrs)
Bachelor's
|
188 | Adelphi, Maryland | Public | umgc.edu |
| University at Buffalo (UB) |
Bachelor's
|
183 | Buffalo, New York | Public | buffalo.edu |
| Tidewater Community College (TCC) |
Associate's
|
182 | Norfolk, Virginia | Public | tcc.edu |
| Yuba College |
Associate's
|
180 | Marysville, California | Public | yc.yccd.edu |
| Glendale Community College (GCC) |
Associate's
|
175 | Glendale, California | Public | glendale.edu |
| Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) |
Bachelor's
|
173 | Manchester, New Hampshire | Private | snhu.edu |
| Bard College |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
167 | Annandale-On-Hudson, New York | Private | bard.edu |
| Laney College |
Associate's
|
166 | Oakland, California | Public | laney.edu |
| Harvard University |
Bachelor's
|
163 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Private | harvard.edu |
| University of South Florida (USF) |
Bachelor's
|
158 | Tampa, Florida | Public | usf.edu |
| Virginia Peninsula Community College (VPCC) |
Associate's
|
156 | Hampton, Virginia | Public | vpcc.edu |
| College of San Mateo (CSM) |
Associate's
|
153 | San Mateo, California | Public | collegeofsanmateo.edu |
| Clovis Community College (CCC) |
Associate's
|
150 | Fresno, California | Public | cloviscollege.edu |
| Franklin University |
Bachelor's
|
148 | Columbus, Ohio | Private | franklin.edu |
| Bellevue University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
146 | Bellevue, Nebraska | Private | bellevue.edu |
| North Carolina Central University (NCCU) |
Bachelor's
|
131 | Durham, North Carolina | Public | nccu.edu |
| Frederick Community College (FCC) |
Associate's
|
118 | Frederick, Maryland | Public | frederick.edu |
| University of Utah (U of U) |
Bachelor's
|
118 | Salt Lake City, Utah | Public | utah.edu |
| Porterville College |
Associate's
|
114 | Porterville, California | Public | portervillecollege.edu |
| San Diego Miramar College |
Associate's
|
111 | San Diego, California | Public | sdmiramar.edu |
| Wilmington University (WilmU) |
Bachelor's
|
106 | New Castle, Delaware | Private | wilmu.edu |
| De Anza College |
Associate's
|
101 | Cupertino, California | Public | deanza.edu |
| University of Hawaii (UHWO) |
Bachelor's
|
100 | Kapolei, Hawaii | Public | westoahu.hawaii.edu |
| Essex County College (ECC) |
Associate's
|
92 | Newark, New Jersey | Public | essex.edu |
| Arizona Western College (AWC) |
Associate's
|
90 | Yuma, Arizona | Public | azwestern.edu |
| Fresno City College (FCC) |
Associate's
|
88 | Fresno, California | Public | fresnocitycollege.edu |
| Mt San Jacinto Community College District (MSJC) |
Associate's
|
85 | San Jacinto, California | Public | msjc.edu |
| California State University (CSUMB) |
Bachelor's
|
85 | Seaside, California | Public | csumb.edu |
| Erie Community College (SUNY Erie) |
Associate's
|
82 | Buffalo, New York | Public | ecc.edu |
| Imperial Valley College (IVC) |
Associate's
|
80 | Imperial, California | Public | imperial.edu |
| Michigan State University (MSU) |
Bachelor's
|
78 | East Lansing, Michigan | Public | msu.edu |
| Thomas Edison State University (TESU) |
Bachelor's
|
78 | Trenton, New Jersey | Public | tesu.edu |
| Mercy University |
Bachelor's
|
69 | Dobbs Ferry, New York | Private | mercy.edu |
| Merritt College |
Associate's
|
68 | Oakland, California | Public | merritt.edu |
| Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) |
Associate's
|
66 | Tonkawa, Oklahoma | Public | noc.edu |
| Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) |
Associate's
|
65 | South Lake Tahoe, California | Public | ltcc.edu |
| Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) |
Associate's
|
64 | Roanoke, Virginia | Public | virginiawestern.edu |
| California State University (CSUSM) |
Bachelor's
|
63 | San Marcos, California | Public | csusm.edu |
| California State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
62 | Chico, California | Public | csuchico.edu |
| Crafton Hills College (CHC) |
Associate's
|
59 | Yucaipa, California | Public | craftonhills.edu |
| Rogers State University (RSU) |
Associate's
Bachelor's
|
59 | Claremore, Oklahoma | Public | rsu.edu |
| Ramapo College of New Jersey |
Bachelor's
|
57 | Mahwah, New Jersey | Public | ramapo.edu |
| College of the Siskiyous |
Associate's
|
56 | Weed, California | Public | siskiyous.edu |
| University of Virginia's College (UVA Wise) |
Bachelor's
|
54 | Wise, Virginia | Public | uvawise.edu |
| California State University (CSUSB) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
52 | San Bernardino, California | Public | csusb.edu |
| Kansas State University (K‑State) |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
|
51 | Manhattan, Kansas | Public | k-state.edu |
| California State University |
Bachelor's
|
50 | Turlock, California | Public | csustan.edu |
| University of Washington (UW) |
Bachelor's
|
49 | Seattle, Washington | Public | washington.edu |
| Citrus College |
Associate's
|
47 | Glendora, California | Public | citruscollege.edu |
| Foothill College |
Associate's
|
44 | Los Altos Hills, California | Public | foothill.edu |
| Central Washington University (CWU) |
Bachelor's
|
44 | Ellensburg, Washington | Public | cwu.edu |
| San Diego State University (SDSU) |
Bachelor's
|
42 | San Diego, California | Public | sdsu.edu |
| Columbia University in the City of New York |
Master's
Post-Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
42 | New York, New York | Private | columbia.edu |
| Ohio State University |
Bachelor's
|
42 | Columbus, Ohio | Public | osu.edu |
| New York University (NYU) |
Bachelor's
|
40 | New York, New York | Private | nyu.edu |
| California State University (CSUF) |
Bachelor's
|
39 | Fullerton, California | Public | fullerton.edu |
| Troy University (TROY) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
37 | Troy, Alabama | Public | troy.edu |
| Cosumnes River College (CRC) |
Associate's
|
37 | Sacramento, California | Public | crc.losrios.edu |
| Pennsylvania State University |
Bachelor's
|
37 | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | worldcampus.psu.edu |
| Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) |
Associate's
|
36 | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania | Public | hacc.edu |
| East Georgia State College (EGSC) |
Associate's
|
34 | Swainsboro, Georgia | Public | ega.edu |
| University of Southern California (USC) |
Bachelor's
|
33 | Los Angeles, California | Private | usc.edu |
| University of Central Florida (UCF) |
Bachelor's
|
31 | Orlando, Florida | Public | ucf.edu |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center |
Bachelor's
|
31 | New York, New York | Public | gc.cuny.edu |
| Dominican University New York |
Bachelor's
|
31 | Orangeburg, New York | Private | duny.edu |
| Central Texas College (CTC) |
Associate's
|
31 | Killeen, Texas | Public | ctcd.edu |
| Grand Valley State University (GVSU) |
Bachelor's
|
30 | Allendale, Michigan | Public | gvsu.edu |
| Rockland Community College (RCC) |
Associate's
|
30 | Suffern, New York | Public | sunyrockland.edu |
| Empire State University |
Associate's
Bachelor's
|
30 | Saratoga Springs, New York | Public | sunyempire.edu |
| University of South Carolina (USCB) |
Bachelor's
|
29 | Bluffton, South Carolina | Public | uscb.edu |
| Butler Community College |
Associate's
|
28 | El Dorado, Kansas | Public | butlercc.edu |
| University of Michigan |
Bachelor's
|
27 | Dearborn, Michigan | Public | umdearborn.edu |
| Adelphi University |
Bachelor's
|
27 | Garden City, New York | Private | adelphi.edu |
| Massachusetts Bay Community College (MassBay) |
Associate's
|
26 | Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts | Public | massbay.edu |
| University of Sioux Falls (USF) |
Associate's
Bachelor's
|
25 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota | Private | usiouxfalls.edu |
| University of North Texas (UNT) |
Bachelor's
|
25 | Denton, Texas | Public | unt.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Social Sciences programs
How much can I earn with a Social Sciences degree?
Salaries for Social Sciences graduates vary by role and location. Managers, All Other earn a median of $136,550 annually, while Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other earn around $100,340. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in Delaware average $122,865 compared to $62,305 in Tennessee. Approximately 1,790,970 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.
Which universities have the largest Social Sciences programs?
Currently 333 accredited institutions offer Social Sciences degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include East Los Angeles College (ELAC) (952 graduates), Sierra College (534 graduates), and College of the Canyons (529 graduates).
Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.
Is enrollment in Social Sciences growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have decreased over the past decade, rising from 19,374 in 2010 to a peak of 19,549 in 2020, before declining slightly to 15,565 in 2023-24. This represents a 20% decrease overall from 2010.
The field remains specialized with consistent demand, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.
Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.
What career paths are available with a Social Sciences degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Managers, All Other, Social Scientists and Related Workers, All Other, and Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other. Related occupations employ approximately 1,790,970 professionals nationwide.
Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.
Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
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