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2024 Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region

89 Colleges in the Far Western US Region
59,952 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$35,260 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in social sciences is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #5 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 89 schools in the Far Western US Region to determine which ones were the best for social sciences students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 59,952 degrees in social sciences during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Social Sciences School

Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region Your choice of social sciences school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Social Sciences School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Social Sciences Rankings by 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

The social sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Social Sciences in the Far Western US Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the social sciences degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

13 Top Far Western US Region Schools in Social Sciences

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
357 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$55,775 Median Starting Salary

Stanford University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in social sciences. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were about 357 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year. Those social sciences students who get their degree from Stanford University make $20,515 more than the standard social sciences grad.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Stanford University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,093 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
4.8% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in social sciences has to take a look at University of California - Berkeley. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 2093 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Those social sciences students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley make $17,743 more than the typical social sciences grad.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of California - Berkeley

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,813 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$37,683 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you want to pursue a degree in social sciences. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were about 2813 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Those social sciences students who get their degree from University of California - Los Angeles receive $2,423 more than the typical social sciences grad.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of California - Los Angeles

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
976 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
11.7% Growth in Graduates

University of Southern California is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in social sciences. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 976 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Social Sciences degree recipients from University of Southern California get an earnings boost of about $12,098 over the average income of social sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of Southern California

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
179 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
1.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Claremont, Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Claremont McKenna is a great college overall.

There were roughly 179 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Claremont McKenna in the most recent year we have data available. Those social sciences students who get their degree from Claremont McKenna College earn $60,306 more than the average social sciences student.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Claremont McKenna College

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,053 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$37,039 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were about 2053 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, social sciences degree recipients generally make an average of $37,039 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of California - Santa Barbara

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,326 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
10.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1326 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Social Sciences degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus receive an earnings boost of about $9,680 above the average income of social sciences majors.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,848 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
8.4% Growth in Graduates

UC Irvine is a very large public university located in the city of Irvine. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1848 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the social sciences program report average early career earnings of $33,988.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of California - Irvine

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,404 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
10.0% Growth in Graduates

UCSD is a very large public university located in the large city of La Jolla. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.

There were about 1404 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the social sciences degree program at University of California - San Diego make $4,005 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of California - San Diego

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,517 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
2.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #52 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were about 1517 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the social sciences program earn around $33,118 for their early career.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of California - Davis

11
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
240 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
10.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #50 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 240 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent year we have data available. Social Sciences degree recipients from Santa Clara University get an earnings boost of about $14,885 over the typical income of social sciences majors.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Santa Clara University

12
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
95 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$67,038 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Claremont, Pomona is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #57 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Pomona is a great college overall.

There were roughly 95 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Pomona in the most recent data year. Social Sciences degree recipients from Pomona College get an earnings boost of around $31,778 above the typical earnings of social sciences majors.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Pomona College

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
864 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
10.2% Growth in Graduates

UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Santa Cruz. This university ranks 19th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 864 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the social sciences program report average early career wages of $31,412.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of California - Santa Cruz

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Social Sciences students in the Far Western US Region that almost earned our Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region award.

Rank College Location
14 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
15 Claremont Graduate University Claremont, CA
16 Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey Monterey, CA
17 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
18 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
19 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
20 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
21 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
22 San Jose State University San Jose, CA

Best Social Sciences Colleges by State

Explore the best social sciences colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
California 38 51,321
Washington 37 3,809
Oregon 37 2,616
Hawaii 36 586
Nevada 35 922
Alaska 33 90

View All Rankings >

Social Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Sociology 16,711
Economics 12,085
General Social Sciences 10,660
Political Science & Government 10,438
Anthropology 3,495
Geography & Cartography 1,872
International Relations & National Security 1,575
Other Social Sciences 534
Urban Studies 465
Archeology 80

View All Social Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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