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Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region

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2023 Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region

129 Colleges
$33,349 Avg Salary
$24,511 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Social Sciences School for You

In 2020-2021, 205,984 social sciences students received a degree or certificate, making the major the #6 most popular in the country.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This report analyzed 129 schools in the Southeast Region to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region

Check out the social sciences programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 15% Best Social Sciences Schools

#1

Duke University

Durham, NC

Our 2023 rankings named Duke University the best school in the Southeast Region for social sciences students. Duke is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.

After completing their degree, social sciences graduates from Duke carry an average student debtload of $11,167.

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#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Vanderbilt University is a great place for social sciences students. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville.

On average, social sciences graduates from Vanderbilt take out $11,462 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $595.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Vanderbilt University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Washington and Lee University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the town of Lexington, Washington and Lee is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, social sciences majors at Washington and Lee accumulate an average of around $23,540 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $709, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Social Sciences at Washington and Lee University Report

#4

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Wake Forest University. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region list. Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Winston-Salem.

The average amount in student loans that social sciences majors at Wake Forest University take out is $19,955.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Wake Forest University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the small suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public school with a very large student population.

While working on their degree, social sciences majors at University of Virginia accumulate an average of around $18,255 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $386.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Virginia - Main Campus

#6

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA

William & Mary came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the small suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their degree, social sciences majors at William & Mary accumulate an average of around $19,446 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $417, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Social Sciences at William & Mary

#7

Florida Southern College

Lakeland, FL

Florida Southern College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the city of Lakeland, Florida Southern is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that social sciences majors at Florida Southern take out is $25,375.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Florida Southern College

#8

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

Virginia Tech landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best social sciences programs. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public college with a very large student population.

Social Sciences majors at Virginia Tech take out an average of $23,198 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $450.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Virginia Tech

With a ranking of #9, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on this year’s best schools for social sciences students. UNC Chapel Hill is a very large public school located in the small city of Chapel Hill.

The average amount in student loans that social sciences majors at UNC Chapel Hill take out is $15,320. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $202.

Full Social Sciences at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Report

#10

Emory University

Atlanta, GA

Emory University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best social sciences programs. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Atlanta.

On average, social sciences graduates from Emory take out $20,303 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Social Sciences at Emory University Report

Sewanee - The University of the South did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for social sciences students. It came in at #11 on the list. Sewanee is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Sewanee.

After completing their degree, social sciences graduates from Sewanee carry an average student debtload of $23,899.

Full Social Sciences at Sewanee - The University of the South Report

#12

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA

University of Richmond landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best social sciences programs. Located in the midsize city of University of Richmond, URichmond is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

On average, social sciences graduates from URichmond take out $22,250 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#13

Roanoke College

Salem, VA

Roanoke College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region list. Roanoke is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized suburb of Salem.

While working on their degree, social sciences majors at Roanoke accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.

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#14

Furman University

Greenville, SC

Furman University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for social sciences students. It came in at #14 on the list. Furman is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Greenville.

After completing their degree, social sciences graduates from Furman carry an average student debtload of $26,500.

Full Social Sciences at Furman University Report

#15

Elon University

Elon, NC

Elon University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for social sciences students. It came in at #15 on the list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Elon, Elon is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that social sciences majors at Elon take out is $21,313.

Full Social Sciences at Elon University Report

#16

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA

James Madison University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for social sciences students. It came in at #16 on the list. JMU is a very large public school located in the city of Harrisonburg.

On average, social sciences graduates from JMU take out $20,378 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $448, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

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Citadel Military College of South Carolina came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Charleston, The Citadel is a public school with a small student population.

On average, social sciences graduates from The Citadel take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $492, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Social Sciences at Citadel Military College of South Carolina Report

American Public University System came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit college with a very large student population.

On average, social sciences graduates from American Military University take out $20,447 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Social Sciences at American Public University System Report

#19

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA

With a ranking of #19, Christopher Newport University did quite well on this year’s best schools for social sciences students. Located in the midsize city of Newport News, CNU is a public school with a small student population.

While working on their degree, social sciences majors at CNU accumulate an average of around $24,150 in student debt. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $427.

Full Social Sciences at Christopher Newport University Report

Honorable Mentions

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 Southeast Region award.

Rank College Location
20 Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA
21 Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Atlanta, GA
22 University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL
23 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
24 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
25 Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA

Best Social Sciences Colleges by State

Explore the best social sciences colleges for a specific state in the Southeast region.

State Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 5,208
West Virginia 788
South Carolina 1,876
Florida 8,162
Virginia 7,636
Arkansas 897
Mississippi 722
Louisiana 1,534
Alabama 1,640
Kentucky 1,344
Georgia 3,932
Tennessee 2,210

Social Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 49,282
Economics 49,055
Sociology 38,475
General Social Sciences 18,997
International Relations & National Security 14,306
Anthropology 11,415
Criminology 11,039
Geography & Cartography 8,526
Other Social Sciences 2,414
Urban Studies 1,507
Sociology & Anthropology 541
Archeology 339
Demography & Population Studies 88

Related Major Annual Graduates
Education 327,871
Psychology 195,678
Communication & Journalism 120,571
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 55,820
History 32,731

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to AndrГ© KГјnzelmann.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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