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2025 Best Social Sciences Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

134 Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
38,414 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$40,688 Avg Early-Career Salary
Social Sciences is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #5 most popular degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual looked at 134 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Social Sciences Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 38,414 degrees in social sciences annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Social Sciences School

Best Social Sciences Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region Your choice of social sciences school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Social Sciences School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Social Sciences Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Social Sciences
Bachelor's Degrees in Social Sciences
Master's Degrees in Social Sciences
Doctor's Degrees in Social Sciences

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Social Sciences Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Social Sciences in the Middle Atlantic Region

The schools below may not offer all types of social sciences degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Middle Atlantic Region Schools in Social Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,481 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
7.9% Growth in Graduates

Johns Hopkins University is a good choice for students interested in a degree in social sciences. Johns Hopkins is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were about 1481 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available. Those social sciences students who get their degree from Johns Hopkins University earn $40,646 more than the typical social sciences student.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Johns Hopkins University

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
644 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
0.3% Growth in Graduates

University of Pennsylvania is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in social sciences. Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were roughly 644 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the social sciences program at University of Pennsylvania earn $37,566 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of Pennsylvania

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
550 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
4.9% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in social sciences has to look into Cornell University. Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Ithaca. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were about 550 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the social sciences program at Cornell University earn $27,417 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Cornell University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,405 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
6.5% Growth in Graduates

Columbia University in the City of New York is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a 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. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1405 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the social sciences major at Columbia University in the City of New York earn $29,821 above the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Columbia University in the City of New York

5
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,318 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
9.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Georgetown is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1318 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Georgetown in the most recent year we have data available. Those social sciences students who get their degree from Georgetown University make $29,164 more than the standard social sciences student.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Georgetown University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,673 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$61,372 Median Starting Salary

GWU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1673 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available. Those social sciences students who get their degree from George Washington University receive $20,684 more than the typical social sciences graduate.

More information about a degree in social sciences from George Washington University

7
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,194 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
0.7% Growth in Graduates

The American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means The American University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1194 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent year we have data available. Those social sciences students who get their degree from American University receive $16,494 more than the average social sciences grad.

More information about a degree in social sciences from American University

8
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,377 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
6.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NYU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1377 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year. Those social sciences students who get their degree from New York University earn $17,008 more than the typical social sciences graduate.

More information about a degree in social sciences from New York University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,544 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
5.1% Growth in Graduates

UMCP is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of College Park. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UMCP is a great university overall.

There were about 1544 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UMCP in the most recent data year. Those social sciences students who get their degree from University of Maryland - College Park receive $7,274 more than the standard social sciences graduate.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of Maryland - College Park

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$86,284 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Carnegie Mellon is a great university overall.

There were roughly 99 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the social sciences major at Carnegie Mellon University get $45,596 more than the typical graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Carnegie Mellon University

11
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
375 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
6.9% Growth in Graduates

Princeton is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Princeton. A Best Colleges rank of #27 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Princeton is a great university overall.

There were roughly 375 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent year we have data available. Social Sciences degree recipients from Princeton University receive an earnings boost of about $32,540 above the average income of social sciences majors.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Princeton University

12
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
135 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
27.4% Growth in Graduates

Swarthmore is a small private not-for-profit college located in the large suburb of Swarthmore. This college ranks 5th out of 103 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 135 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Swarthmore in the most recent data year. Those social sciences students who get their degree from Swarthmore College make $22,179 more than the average social sciences grad.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Swarthmore College

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
528 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$40,150 Median Starting Salary

UD is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Newark. This university ranks 1st out of 3 colleges for overall quality in the state of Delaware.

There were approximately 528 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UD in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, social sciences degree recipients generally make about $40,150 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of Delaware

14
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
250 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
24.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of New York, Barnard is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 9th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 250 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Barnard in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the social sciences degree program at Barnard College get $24,021 above the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Barnard College

15
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
303 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$57,809 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Villanova is a great university overall.

There were about 303 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Villanova in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the social sciences major at Villanova University earn $17,120 above the standard college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Villanova University

16
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
721 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$46,908 Median Starting Salary

Syracuse is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Syracuse. This university ranks 5th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 721 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Syracuse in the most recent year we have data available. Social Sciences degree recipients from Syracuse University get an earnings boost of around $6,219 over the average income of social sciences majors.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Syracuse University

17
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
333 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
17.7% Growth in Graduates

Colgate is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Hamilton. This university ranks 11th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 333 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Colgate in the most recent year we have data available. Those social sciences students who get their degree from Colgate University earn $23,935 more than the standard social sciences student.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Colgate University

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
634 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$41,882 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize suburb of Vestal, Binghamton University is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 15th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 634 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Binghamton University in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the social sciences program report average early career income of $41,882.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Binghamton University

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
579 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
6.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Bronx, Fordham U is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 579 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Fordham U in the most recent data year. Social Sciences degree recipients from Fordham University receive an earnings boost of around $6,486 over the average earnings of social sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Fordham University

20
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
185 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
9.7% Growth in Graduates

Hamilton is a small private not-for-profit college located in the midsize suburb of Clinton. This college ranks 12th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 185 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Hamilton in the most recent year we have data available. Those social sciences students who get their degree from Hamilton College earn $26,326 more than the standard social sciences graduate.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Hamilton College

21
Lafayette crest
Lafayette College
Easton, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
287 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
16.7% Growth in Graduates

Lafayette is a small private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Easton. This college ranks 14th out of 103 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were approximately 287 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Lafayette in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the social sciences program at Lafayette College earn $18,410 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Lafayette College

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
631 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$44,321 Median Starting Salary

Rutgers New Brunswick is a very large public university located in the small city of New Brunswick. This university ranks 2nd out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.

There were roughly 631 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Rutgers New Brunswick in the most recent data year. Social Sciences degree recipients from Rutgers University - New Brunswick receive an earnings boost of around $3,632 above the typical earnings of social sciences majors.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Rutgers University - New Brunswick

23
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
281 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$66,325 Median Starting Salary

Located in the distant town of Lewisburg, Bucknell is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 11th out of 103 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 281 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Bucknell in the most recent data year. Those social sciences students who get their degree from Bucknell University earn $25,637 more than the average social sciences graduate.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Bucknell University

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
669 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$42,307 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 103 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 669 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Pitt in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, social sciences degree recipients usually earn an average of $42,307 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

25
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
142 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
2.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Washington, CUA is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 4th out of 7 schools for overall quality in the state of District of Columbia.

There were about 142 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at CUA in the most recent data year. Those social sciences students who get their degree from Catholic University of America make $3,929 more than the standard social sciences grad.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Catholic University of America

Rest of the Top Best Social Sciences Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

26

Additional Noteworthy Schools

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 Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.

Rank College Location
27 University at Albany Albany, NY
28 University of Rochester Rochester, NY
29 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
30 Union College New York Schenectady, NY
31 Haverford College Haverford, PA
32 Bard College Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
33 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
34 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
35 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
36 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
37 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA
38 Towson University Towson, MD
39 Saint Joseph’s University Philadelphia, PA
40 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
41 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
42 Stockton University Galloway, NJ
43 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA
44 Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ

Best Social Sciences Colleges by State

Explore the best social sciences colleges for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New Jersey 38 3,582
Pennsylvania 38 7,755
New York 38 16,964
Maryland 37 5,195
Delaware 33 865
District of Columbia 33 4,610

View All Rankings >

Social Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Economics 10,436
Political Science & Government 9,218
International Relations & National Security 4,976
Sociology 4,681
General Social Sciences 2,552
Anthropology 1,561
Geography & Cartography 1,298
Other Social Sciences 779
Urban Studies 450
Sociology & Anthropology 148

View All Social Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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