by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools in the Far Western US Region to determine which ones were the best for social sciences students pursuing a associate degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 18,213 associate degrees in social sciences during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The social sciences associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. 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 school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their associate degree from the school. After all, your associate degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
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 colleges for social sciences students working on their associate 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 Associate Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in social sciences.
It is difficult to beat Merced College if you want to pursue an associate degree in social sciences. Merced Community College District is a large public college located in the city of Merced.More information about a associate in social sciences from Merced College
Yuba College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in social sciences. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Marysville, Yuba College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in social sciences from Yuba College
Ohlone College is one of the best schools in the country for getting an associate degree in social sciences. Ohlone College is a moderately-sized public college located in the medium-sized city of Fremont.More information about a associate in social sciences from Ohlone College
City College of San Francisco is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in social sciences. City College of San Francisco is a fairly large public college located in the city of San Francisco.More information about a associate in social sciences from City College of San Francisco
Located in the large suburb of Sacramento, American River is a public college with a very large student population.More information about a associate in social sciences from American River College
MSJC is a large public college located in the midsize suburb of San Jacinto.More information about a associate in social sciences from Mt. San Jacinto College
Located in the city of Sacramento, Sacramento City is a public college with a large student population.More information about a associate in social sciences from Sacramento City College
Merritt College is a medium-sized public college located in the city of Oakland.More information about a associate in social sciences from Merritt College
Located in the suburb of Santa Clarita, College of the Canyons is a public college with a large student population.More information about a associate in social sciences from College of the Canyons
Butte College is a large public college located in the rural area of Oroville.More information about a associate in social sciences from Butte College
Explore the best social sciences schools for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| California | 38 | 21,529 |
| Oregon | 35 | 13 |
| Nevada | 35 | 58 |
| Washington | 33 | 14 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| General Social Sciences | 7,516 |
| Sociology | 4,605 |
| Economics | 3,297 |
| Political Science & Government | 1,828 |
| Anthropology | 747 |
| Geography & Cartography | 199 |
| International Relations & National Security | 12 |
| Archeology | 7 |
| Other Social Sciences | 2 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 69,028 |
| Communication & Journalism | 4,774 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 4,667 |
| English Language & Literature | 2,099 |
| History | 1,864 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 1,646 |
| Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies | 722 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 340 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 40 |
