by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 10 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Social Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 591 doctor's degrees in social sciences during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of social sciences for getting your doctor's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Doctor's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their doctor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. That is, everyone wants their doctor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
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 the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in social sciences.
It's difficult to beat Northwestern University if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in social sciences. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from Northwestern University
University of Chicago is a good option for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in social sciences. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from University of Chicago
University of Notre Dame is a good option for individuals interested in a doctor's degree in social sciences. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Notre Dame.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from University of Notre Dame
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a good decision for individuals interested in a doctor's degree in social sciences. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Madison.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from University of Wisconsin - Madison
UIUC is a very large public university located in the city of Champaign.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from Ohio State University - Main Campus
Michigan State is a fairly large public university located in the city of East Lansing.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from Michigan State University
Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from Indiana University - Bloomington
Located in the town of Carbondale, SIUC is a public university with a large student population.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Explore the best social sciences colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Economics | 254 |
| Sociology | 114 |
| Political Science & Government | 101 |
| Anthropology | 85 |
| Geography & Cartography | 22 |
| General Social Sciences | 7 |
| Urban Studies | 5 |
| Archeology | 1 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 324 |
| English Language & Literature | 231 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 211 |
| History | 162 |
| Communication & Journalism | 128 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 100 |
| Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies | 56 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 41 |
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 3 |
