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Social Sciences

Types of Degrees Social Sciences Majors Are Earning

Those studying Social Sciences may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	246
Associate’s Degree	22,814
Bachelor’s Degree	134,637
Master’s Degree	23,444
Doctor’s Degree	3,734

What Social Sciences Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Social Sciences build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Social Sciences graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Social Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Social Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Social Sciences careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Social Sciences graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Social Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Social Sciences graduates include:

• Lecturer
• Professor
• Associate Professor
• College Professor
• Assistant Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Adjunct Professor
• Faculty Member
• Compliance Director
• Adjunct Instructor
• Director of Research
• Research Director
• Extension Service Specialist-in-Charge

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Social Sciences graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	39.0%
Doctoral degree	30.6%
Master’s degree	11.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.9%
Postsecondary certificate	2.5%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.2%
Some college courses	2.2%
Post-master’s certificate	1.7%
Post-doctoral training	0.8%
First professional degree	0.2%
Less than a high school diploma	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Social Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 56.2% women and 43.8% men among Social Sciences graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	104,063	56.2%
Men	80,956	43.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Social Sciences graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	83,655	45.2%
Asian	15,145	8.2%
Hispanic or Latino	38,851	21.0%
Black or African American	14,670	7.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	659	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	349	0.2%
Two or More Races	8,762	4.7%
Race Unknown	4,761	2.6%
International Students	18,167	9.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Social Sciences Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Social Sciences graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$42,225
4 years	$55,597
5 years	$64,933

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $64,933 — roughly 54% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Social Sciences Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Social Sciences. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	199	108
Bachelor’s	276	253
Master’s	139	100
Doctoral (Research)	8	14

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Social Sciences Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Social Sciences graduates earn a median of $55,597 four years after completion — roughly 46% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.