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Doctor's Degree in Social Sciences

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Doctor’s Degrees in Social Sciences

3,487 Yearly Graduations
$61,881 Median Salary
47% Women
There are 205 schools in the United States where you can get your doctor's degree in social sciences. In recent years, the majority of the students getting degrees in this area were male, and 17 were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group. Also, 38.1% of social sciences graduates were international students.

Education Levels of Social Sciences Majors

During the 2020-2021 academic year, 3,487 students earned their doctor's degree in social sciences. This earns it the #10 spot on the list of the most popular doctor's degree programs in the nation.

The following table shows the number of diplomas awarded in social sciences at each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree 154,807
Associate Degree 26,277
Master’s Degree 16,693
Doctor’s Degree 3,487
Basic Certificate 2,284
Graduate Certificate 2,112
Undergraduate Certificate 324

Earnings of Social Sciences Majors With Doctor’s Degrees

The median salary for graduates holding a doctor's degree in social sciences is $61,881. This number may vary for a lot of reasons. For instance, you may decide to move to a location where people with your degree are rare and make more money. To get a better picture, earnings for this category of people can range from a low of $49,854 to a high of $68,940.

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Student Debt

We do not have the data to calculate the median and range of debt loads for social sciences students who are doctor's degree holders.

Student Diversity

More men than women pursue doctor's degrees in social sciences. About 52.8% of graduates in this field are male.

Gender Number of Grads
Men 1,841
Women 1,646
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The racial-ethnic distribution of social sciences doctor’s degree students is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 171
Black or African American 163
Hispanic or Latino 182
White 1,395
International Students 1,327
Other Races/Ethnicities 249
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There are 205 colleges that offer a doctor’s degree in social sciences. Learn more about the most popular 20 below:

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
108 Yearly Graduations
47% Women
18% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of Chicago tops the list of the most popular school in the U.S. for social sciences majors who are seeking their doctor's degree. Each year, around 17,800 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $59,256 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $62,640 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 108 people received their doctor's degree in social sciences from UChicago. About 47% of this group were women, and 18% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
77 Yearly Graduations
39% Women
25% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Harvard University is the 2nd most popular school in the nation for students seeking a doctor's degree in social sciences. Each year, around 30,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $51,143 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $50,928 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 77 people received their doctor's degree in social sciences from Harvard. Of these students, 39% were women and 25% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#3

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
75 Yearly Graduations
39% Women
19% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of California - Berkeley comes in at #3 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in social sciences. Each year, around 42,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,442 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,442 per year. The social sciences program at University of California - Berkeley awarded 75 doctor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 19% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 39% were women.

#3

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, Wisconsin
75 Yearly Graduations
45% Women
12% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of Wisconsin - Madison is the 3rd most popular school in the nation for students seeking a doctor's degree in social sciences. Each year, around 44,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,273 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $10,728 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 75 doctor's degrees were handed out to social sciences majors at UW - Madison. About 45% of this group were women, and 12% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

#5

Stanford University

Stanford, California
66 Yearly Graduations
53% Women
30% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 5th most popular school in the country for social sciences majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is Stanford University. Roughly 15,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $55,473 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $54,315 per year. The social sciences program at Stanford University awarded 66 doctor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. About 53% of this group were women, and 30% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
62 Yearly Graduations
40% Women
26% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of California - Los Angeles comes in at #6 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in social sciences. Each year, around 44,500 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,442 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,442 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 62 people received their doctor's degree in social sciences from UCLA. Around 26% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 40% were women.

#7

Capella University

Minneapolis, Minnesota
61 Yearly Graduations
89% Women
61% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Capella University is the 7th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a doctor's degree in social sciences. Roughly 38,900 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $14,148 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $14,784 per year. The social sciences program at Capella University awarded 61 doctor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 61% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 89% were women.

#8

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
59 Yearly Graduations
37% Women
8% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of Maryland - College Park comes in at #8 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in social sciences. Roughly 40,700 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $9,000 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $15,360 per year. The social sciences program at University of Maryland - College Park awarded 59 doctor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 8% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 37% were women.

#8

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
59 Yearly Graduations
29% Women
15% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is the 8th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a doctor's degree in social sciences. Roughly 52,000 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $13,532 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $17,844 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 59 doctor's degrees were handed out to social sciences majors at UMN Twin Cities. Around 15% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 29% were women.

55 Yearly Graduations
47% Women
13% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Columbia University in the City of New York is the 10th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a doctor's degree in social sciences. Each year, around 30,100 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $59,450 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $50,496 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 55 doctor's degrees were handed out to social sciences majors at Columbia. Of these students, 47% were women and 13% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#11

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
52 Yearly Graduations
44% Women
19% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Yale University comes in at #11 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in social sciences. Roughly 12,000 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $59,950 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $45,700 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 52 doctor's degrees were handed out to social sciences majors at Yale. Around 19% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 44% were women.

#11

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
52 Yearly Graduations
42% Women
13% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 11th most popular school in the country for social sciences majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is Princeton University. Each year, around 7,800 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $56,010 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $56,010 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 52 doctor's degrees were handed out to social sciences majors at Princeton. Of these students, 42% were women and 13% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#13

The Graduate Center, CUNY

New York, New York
50 Yearly Graduations
60% Women
18% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 13th most popular school in the country for social sciences majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is The Graduate Center, CUNY. Each year, around 9,300 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $6,930 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $9,930 per year. The social sciences program at The Graduate Center, CUNY awarded 50 doctor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. About 60% of this group were women, and 18% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

#14

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
47 Yearly Graduations
34% Women
9% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

University of Pennsylvania comes in at #14 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in social sciences. Each year, around 26,500 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $54,652 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $38,732 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 47 people received their doctor's degree in social sciences from UPenn. Around 9% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 34% were women.

#14

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
47 Yearly Graduations
51% Women
13% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Michigan State University comes in at #14 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in social sciences. Roughly 49,600 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $15,966 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $19,714 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 47 doctor's degrees were handed out to social sciences majors at Michigan State. Of these students, 51% were women and 13% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#14

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
47 Yearly Graduations
53% Women
11% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Cornell University comes in at #14 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in social sciences. Each year, around 23,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $60,286 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $29,500 per year. For the 2020-2021 academic year, 47 doctor's degrees were handed out to social sciences majors at Cornell. Of these students, 53% were women and 11% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

#14

University of California - Irvine

Irvine, California
47 Yearly Graduations
51% Women
34% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 14th most popular school in the country for social sciences majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is University of California - Irvine. Roughly 36,300 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $11,442 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $11,442 per year. The social sciences program at University of California - Irvine awarded 47 doctor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. About 51% of this group were women, and 34% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

#14

New York University

New York, New York
47 Yearly Graduations
40% Women
9% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

New York University is the 14th most popular school in the nation for students seeking a doctor's degree in social sciences. Roughly 52,700 attend the school each year. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $53,770 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $35,982 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 47 people received their doctor's degree in social sciences from NYU. About 40% of this group were women, and 9% were students from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group.

#14

Pennsylvania State University - University Park

University Park, Pennsylvania
47 Yearly Graduations
49% Women
15% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Pennsylvania State University - University Park comes in at #14 on our list of the most popular colleges offering doctor's degrees in social sciences. Each year, around 89,800 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $15,400 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $23,189 per year. The social sciences program at Pennsylvania State University - University Park awarded 47 doctor's degrees during the 2020-2021 school year. Around 15% of these students were from an underrepresented racial-ethnic group, and 49% were women.

#20

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
46 Yearly Graduations
26% Women
24% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

The 20th most popular school in the country for social sciences majors who are seeking their doctor's degree is Northwestern University. Each year, around 22,600 students seeking various degrees attend the university. The average in-state tuition for full-time undergraduates is $60,276 per year, while in-state graduate students, on average, pay $56,067 per year. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 46 people received their doctor's degree in social sciences from Northwestern. Of these students, 26% were women and 24% were members of underrepresented racial-ethnic groups.

Social Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Degrees Awarded
Economics 1,248
Political Science & Government 654
Sociology 577
Anthropology 469
Geography & Cartography 249

Below are some popular majors that are similar to social sciences that offer doctor’s degrees.

Major Annual Degrees Awarded
Education 13,937
Psychology 6,582
History 721
Communication & Journalism 533
Ethnic, Culture & Gender Studies 342

References

*The racial-ethnic minority student count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the percentage of racial-ethnic minorities.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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