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2025 Best General Social Sciences Schools

106 Colleges in the United States
17,338 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$37,783 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in general social sciences is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #54 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual looked at 106 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best General Social Sciences Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 17,338 degrees in general social sciences annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great General Social Sciences School

Best General Social Sciences Schools Your choice of general social sciences school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for general social sciences schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

General Social Sciences Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Social Sciences
Bachelor's Degrees in Social Sciences
Master's Degrees in Social Sciences
Doctor's Degrees in Social Sciences

The social sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best General Social Sciences Schools. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for General Social Sciences in the United States

The schools below may not offer all types of social sciences degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

21 Top Schools in Social Sciences

1
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
247 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$61,389 Median Starting Salary

Vanderbilt University is a good option for students interested in a degree in general social sciences. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 247 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year. General Social Sciences degree recipients from Vanderbilt University receive an earnings boost of about $23,606 above the average income of general social sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from Vanderbilt University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
227 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
18.5% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in general social sciences has to look into University of Chicago. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were about 227 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available. Those general social sciences students who get their degree from University of Chicago make $16,005 more than the average social sciences graduate.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from University of Chicago

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Sociology Program Name

Learn to analyze social factors and become an advocate for individual and community health with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Sociology from Southern New Hampshire University
3
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

University of Pennsylvania is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in general social sciences. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.More information about a degree in general social sciences from University of Pennsylvania

4
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
111 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded

It is difficult to beat Georgetown University if you wish to pursue a degree in general social sciences. Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.More information about a degree in general social sciences from Georgetown University

5
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI

Located in the midsize city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Brown is a great university overall.More information about a degree in general social sciences from Brown University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In NY
179 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were about 179 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from Columbia University in the City of New York

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
39 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$100,533 Median Starting Salary

Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were approximately 39 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general social sciences program at Johns Hopkins University earn $62,750 above the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from Johns Hopkins University

8
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
195 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
3.6% Growth in Graduates

Harvard is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Cambridge. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were approximately 195 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general social sciences degree program at Harvard University get $18,757 more than the average college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from Harvard University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IL

Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from Northwestern University

10
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
96 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$46,206 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 96 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Those general social sciences students who get their degree from Michigan State University receive $8,423 more than the typical social sciences grad.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from Michigan State University

11
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
3.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were about 63 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the general social sciences degree program at New York University get $11,233 above the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from New York University

12
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$33,789 Median Starting Salary

USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 17 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the social sciences program make around $33,789 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from University of Southern California

13
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
185 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$28,844 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Buffalo, University at Buffalo is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 18th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 185 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at University at Buffalo in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, social sciences degree recipients typically make around $28,844 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from University at Buffalo

14

Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.More information about a degree in general social sciences from University of California - Los Angeles

15
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
278 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$33,235 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 70 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were approximately 278 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, social sciences degree recipients generally make an average of $33,235 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from Florida State University

16
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
236 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$38,147 Median Starting Salary

UO is a fairly large public university located in the city of Eugene. This university ranks 1st out of 29 schools for overall quality in the state of Oregon.

There were about 236 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UO in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the social sciences program make an average of $38,147 for their early career.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from University of Oregon

17
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In OH
53.6% Growth in Graduates

Ohio State is a very large public university located in the large city of Columbus. This university ranks 1st out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were approximately 28 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from Ohio State University - Main Campus

18
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$57,538 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 50 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were roughly 64 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. General Social Sciences degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus get an earnings boost of around $19,755 over the average earnings of general social sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

19
Providence crest
Providence College
Providence, RI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In RI

Located in the midsize city of Providence, Providence is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 3rd out of 9 colleges for overall quality in the state of Rhode Island.

There were roughly 6 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Providence in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from Providence College

20
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$40,793 Median Starting Salary

K -State is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Manhattan. This university ranks 2nd out of 44 colleges for overall quality in the state of Kansas.

There were about 51 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at K -State in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the general social sciences program at Kansas State University earn $3,010 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from Kansas State University

21
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
247 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$35,093 Median Starting Salary

Portland State University is a very large public university located in the city of Portland. This university ranks 5th out of 29 schools for overall quality in the state of Oregon.

There were roughly 247 general social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Portland State University in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, social sciences degree recipients usually earn about $35,093 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in general social sciences from Portland State University

Rest of the Top Best General Social Sciences Schools

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for General Social Sciences students that almost earned our Best General Social Sciences Schools award.

Rank College Location
22 Washington State University Pullman, WA
23 Bard College Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
24 University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA
25 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
26 Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA
27 California State University - Chico Chico, CA
28 University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD
29 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
30 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
31 Merced College Merced, CA
32 Ohlone College Fremont, CA
33 Boise State University Boise, ID
34 Yuba College Marysville, CA
35 Essex County College Newark, NJ

General Social Sciences by Region

View the Best General Social Sciences Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 13 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, General Social Sciences has other similar majors worth exploring.

Social Sciences Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Social Sciences 16,867
Research Methodology & Quantitative Methods 471

View All Social Sciences Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 47,809
Political Science & Government 47,686
Sociology 35,816
International Relations & National Security 13,958
Anthropology 11,105
Geography & Cartography 8,281
Other Social Sciences 2,116
Urban Studies 1,453
Sociology & Anthropology 520
Archeology 333

View All Social Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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