by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 45 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for social sciences students pursuing a master's degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,578 master's degrees in social sciences during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The social sciences master'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.
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master'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 master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
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 colleges for social sciences students working on their master's degree.
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 Social Sciences Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in social sciences.
Any student who is interested in a master's degree in social sciences needs to look into Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Vanderbilt University
Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in social sciences needs to look into Duke University. Located in the large city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Duke University
Emory University is a great decision for students interested in a master's degree in social sciences. Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Emory University
Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in social sciences has to check out The University of Tennessee - Knoxville. Located in the medium-sized city of Knoxville, UT Knoxville is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from The University of Tennessee - Knoxville
Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Virginia Tech
Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, UF is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from University of Florida
GMU is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Fairfax.More information about a master’s in social sciences from George Mason University
USF Tampa is a very large public university located in the city of Tampa.More information about a master’s in social sciences from University of South Florida - Main Campus
Located in the city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from University of Georgia
Located in the midsize city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Florida State University
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Social Sciences Master's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC |
| 12 | University of Miami | Coral Gables, FL |
| 13 | Clemson University | Clemson, SC |
| 14 | The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 15 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg, VA |
Explore the best social sciences colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 34 | 48 |
| Florida | 34 | 470 |
| Virginia | 33 | 479 |
| Georgia | 32 | 346 |
| Tennessee | 32 | 129 |
| North Carolina | 31 | 365 |
| Kentucky | 31 | 96 |
| West Virginia | 30 | 69 |
| Alabama | 30 | 210 |
| Louisiana | 30 | 116 |
| South Carolina | 30 | 52 |
| Arkansas | 30 | 43 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Economics | 576 |
| International Relations & National Security | 548 |
| Political Science & Government | 429 |
| Sociology | 282 |
| Anthropology | 219 |
| Geography & Cartography | 199 |
| General Social Sciences | 81 |
| Urban Studies | 57 |
| Other Social Sciences | 47 |
| Demography & Population Studies | 7 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 4,525 |
| Communication & Journalism | 2,981 |
| English Language & Literature | 1,659 |
| History | 933 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 901 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 451 |
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 421 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 350 |
| Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies | 185 |
