by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2025, College Factual analyzed 7 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Social Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 562 doctor's degrees in social sciences to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The social sciences doctor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality social sciences program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a doctor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of doctorate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their doctor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for social sciences students working on their doctor's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Social Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in social sciences.
Stanford University is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in social sciences. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from Stanford University
Every student pursuing a degree in a doctor's degree in social sciences has to look into University of California - Berkeley. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from University of California - Berkeley
Any student who is interested in a doctor's degree in social sciences has to check out University of Southern California. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from University of Southern California
University of California - Los Angeles is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in social sciences. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from University of California - Davis
UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the city of La Jolla.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from University of California - San Diego
UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the city of Irvine.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from University of California - Irvine
Explore all the Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 27 | 61 |
| Oregon | 27 | 48 |
| Nevada | 25 | 14 |
| Hawaii | 23 | 16 |
| Alaska | 10 | 3 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Economics | 220 |
| Political Science & Government | 119 |
| Sociology | 94 |
| Anthropology | 54 |
| Geography & Cartography | 42 |
| Urban Studies | 7 |
| International Relations & National Security | 6 |
| General Social Sciences | 4 |
| Demography & Population Studies | 3 |
| Other Social Sciences | 3 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 207 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 185 |
| English Language & Literature | 92 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 82 |
| History | 73 |
| Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies | 63 |
| Communication & Journalism | 52 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 18 |
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 13 |
