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2024 Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia

22 Colleges in Virginia
7,674 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$38,951 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 22 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 7,674 degrees in social sciences to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Social Sciences School

Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia The social sciences program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Social Sciences rankings. 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.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Social Sciences 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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 Virginia

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.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Social Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
995 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$42,285 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of Virginia - Main Campus if you want to pursue a degree in social sciences. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were about 995 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the social sciences degree program at University of Virginia - Main Campus earn $3,335 above the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

2
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
766 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
1.4% Growth in Graduates

Virginia Tech is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in social sciences. Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were about 766 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, social sciences degree recipients typically make an average of $37,945 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Virginia Tech

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
138 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
15.2% Growth in Graduates

Washington and Lee University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in social sciences. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit university located in the distant town of Lexington. A Best Colleges rank of #83 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Washington and Lee is a great university overall.

There were about 138 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Washington and Lee in the most recent year we have data available. Social Sciences degree recipients from Washington and Lee University receive an earnings boost of around $10,486 above the typical earnings of social sciences majors.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Washington and Lee University

4
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
440 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$44,450 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat William & Mary if you wish to pursue a degree in social sciences. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were roughly 440 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year. Those social sciences students who get their degree from William & Mary receive $5,499 more than the average social sciences grad.

More information about a degree in social sciences from William & Mary

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
788 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
1.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were about 788 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the social sciences degree program at George Mason University get $16,725 more than the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

6
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
416 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
9.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were about 416 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the social sciences program earn about $37,763 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in social sciences from James Madison University

7
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
109 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$48,748 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of University of Richmond, URichmond is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #282 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means URichmond is a great university overall.

There were about 109 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at URichmond in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the social sciences program at University of Richmond get $9,797 above the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
413 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$30,768 Median Starting Salary

Old Dominion is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk. This university ranks 14th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 413 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Old Dominion in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the social sciences program state that they receive average early career earnings of $30,768.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Old Dominion University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
401 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
6.2% Growth in Graduates

VCU is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #240 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were about 401 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the social sciences program state that they receive average early career earnings of $28,787.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
166 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$38,398 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Newport News, CNU is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 17th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 166 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at CNU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the social sciences program earn an average of $38,398 for their early career.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Christopher Newport University

Best Social Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Social Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 38 5,094
West Virginia 38 783
Mississippi 38 722
South Carolina 38 1,873
Florida 38 8,144
Arkansas 38 895
Alabama 37 1,604
Kentucky 37 1,324
Georgia 37 3,895
Tennessee 37 2,193
Louisiana 37 1,518

View All Rankings >

Social Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 1,786
General Social Sciences 1,609
Economics 1,329
International Relations & National Security 1,122
Sociology 937
Geography & Cartography 254
Anthropology 219
Urban Studies 81
Other Social Sciences 19
Sociology & Anthropology 16

View All Social Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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