by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 13 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Social Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 832 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 good 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 complete 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 picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Social Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in social sciences.
University of Pennsylvania is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a doctor's degree in social sciences. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from University of Pennsylvania
Columbia University in the City of New York is a wonderful choice for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in social sciences. Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from Columbia University in the City of New York
Johns Hopkins University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in social sciences. Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from Johns Hopkins University
Cornell University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in social sciences. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from Cornell University
Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from Georgetown University
Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from New York University
Princeton is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Princeton.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from Princeton University
UD is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Newark.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from University of Delaware
UMCP is a very large public university located in the suburb of College Park.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from University of Maryland - College Park
The American University is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington.More information about a doctorate in social sciences from American University
Explore the best social sciences colleges for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 30 | 353 |
| Maryland | 29 | 95 |
| Pennsylvania | 29 | 159 |
| New Jersey | 28 | 91 |
| District of Columbia | 24 | 85 |
| Delaware | 21 | 29 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Economics | 301 |
| Political Science & Government | 161 |
| Sociology | 121 |
| Anthropology | 111 |
| International Relations & National Security | 46 |
| Other Social Sciences | 35 |
| Geography & Cartography | 20 |
| Urban Studies | 7 |
| General Social Sciences | 6 |
| Demography & Population Studies | 6 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 287 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 248 |
| English Language & Literature | 225 |
| History | 173 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 161 |
| Communication & Journalism | 88 |
| Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies | 84 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 24 |
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 19 |
