Social Sciences graduates earn $56,812 four years out. Related careers are growing at up to 34.6%, one of the stronger demand signals across all fields. Data Scientist is among the highest-growth roles in the field.
This page covers Social Sciences as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Social Sciences and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Social Sciences is a specialized field of study. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $56,812 four years out, a solid return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 154 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 2,069 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. Coursework pairs research methods with the applied study of people and institutions.
Four years after finishing Social Sciences, a typical graduate earns $56,812, near the national median for college graduates. Half of earners land somewhere between $39,742 and $77,687, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $36,413 at one year out to $56,812 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
What that figure means in practice depends on what the degree cost to get, which is a matter of lifetime earnings against total outlay.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
Near the national median for college graduates.
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Not every Social Sciences graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Degree level and sector drive the gap. Graduate-level government and research roles anchor the top; entry-level social services and nonprofit roles anchor the bottom.
Solid ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $56,812 and an estimated $77,920 four-year net cost, the typical graduate reaches earnings breakeven in roughly 2.9 years.
Based on outcomes from 131 schools. Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Of the 2,069 students who complete Social Sciences programs each year, the majority (69%) earn a bachelor's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
This degree does not lock you into one job. Social Sciences graduates show up in 8 different occupations, and Political Scientist pays the most at $142,080/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
The best-paid of these is what a Political Scientist earns and how fast the role is growing, though entry requirements vary across the list.
Not sure where to study Social Sciences? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by score, that list starts with the cost and outcomes at Towson University, and the rest follow the same measures.
| # | College | Graduates | Acceptance | Net Price/yr | Earnings 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Towson University Towson, MD · Public | 207 | 82% | $17,413 | $64,390 |
| 2 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA · Public | 193 | 11% | $13,481 | $92,446 |
| 3 | New York University New York, NY · Nonprofit | 116 | 9.2% | $37,050 | $82,509 |
| 4 | Boston University Boston, MA · Nonprofit | 107 | 11.1% | $24,402 | $83,238 |
| 5 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY · Nonprofit | 74 | 4% | $21,590 | $102,491 |
| 6 | University of Southern Maine Portland, ME · Public | 59 | 79.2% | $13,596 | $49,958 |
| 7 | University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA · Public | 56 | 26.7% | $12,470 | $84,943 |
| 8 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA · Public | 40 | 82.5% | $10,163 | $78,466 |
| 9 | The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN · Public | 39 | 81.1% | $14,265 | $51,151 |
| 10 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL · Nonprofit | 39 | 4.5% | $14,860 | $91,885 |
| 11 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ · Public | 36 | 58.2% | $24,406 | $74,479 |
| 12 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA · Public | 35 | 31.3% | $16,665 | $90,768 |
| 13 | Clark University Worcester, MA · Nonprofit | 34 | 39.5% | $28,714 | $62,381 |
| 14 | Carl Albert State College Poteau, OK · Public | 33 | Open | $14,607 | $34,117 |
| 15 | University of Rochester Rochester, NY · Nonprofit | 27 | 40.1% | $29,278 | $79,042 |
| 16 | University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA · Public | 26 | 76.4% | $14,304 | $67,699 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania Western University California, PA · Public | 25 | 94.3% | $18,256 | $47,295 |
| 18 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA · Public | 25 | 86.2% | $20,787 | $55,246 |
| 19 | Columbus State University Columbus, GA · Public | 25 | 99.1% | $13,115 | $44,544 |
| 20 | Wesleyan University Middletown, CT · Nonprofit | 25 | 16.5% | $30,177 | $73,897 |
Ranked by Social Sciences graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Social Sciences program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.
See if a Social Sciences degree pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings its graduates actually see.
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
The data on Social Sciences shows 4 measurable strengths and 2 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
Scout uses AI and can make mistakes. Verify important numbers on the page.
