by our College Data Analytics Team
[General Social Sciences](/majors/social-sciences/general-social-sciences/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The schools below stand out for the salaries their general social sciences graduates go on to command.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 100 schools to find where general social sciences graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
The right general social sciences school can pay off in your paycheck for years to come. That is why we developed our Highest Paid General Social Sciences Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its general social sciences graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid General Social Sciences Graduates list, to help you choose. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about our methodology
Below are the schools whose general social sciences graduates go on to earn the most.
American River College earned the #1 spot for highest-paid general social sciences graduates in the United States. Located in the suburb of Sacramento, American River College is a public institution. After graduating, general social sciences degree recipients from American River College typically earn about $52,793 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in general social sciences will find them at Vanderbilt University, which ranked #2. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. Students who complete the general social sciences program here go on to a median salary of roughly $90,203.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Washington Seattle Campus one of the highest-paying schools for general social sciences. University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a public school located in the city of Seattle. General Social Sciences graduates of University Of Washington Seattle Campus earn a median of about $82,655 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #4 makes Manhattan College one of the highest-paying schools for general social sciences. Located in the city of Riverdale, Manhattan College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, general social sciences degree recipients from Manhattan College typically earn about $107,051 annually.
A rank of #5 makes Brandman University Part Of The Chapman University System one of the highest-paying schools for general social sciences. Located in the suburb of Aliso Viejo, Brandman University Part Of The Chapman University System is a public institution. Students who complete the general social sciences program here go on to a median salary of roughly $65,739.
Harvard University came in at #6 for general social sciences graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution. General Social Sciences graduates of Harvard University earn a median of about $76,293 a year early in their careers.
Adelphi University landed the #7 spot for general social sciences salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Garden City, Adelphi University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general social sciences program here go on to a median salary of roughly $60,794.
College Of San Mateo placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for general social sciences. Located in the city of San Mateo, College Of San Mateo is a public institution. After graduating, general social sciences degree recipients from College Of San Mateo typically earn about $47,134 annually.
New York University landed the #9 spot for general social sciences salaries this year. New York University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New York. After graduating, general social sciences degree recipients from New York University typically earn about $74,002 annually.
University Of Nevada Las Vegas placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for general social sciences. Located in the city of Las Vegas, University Of Nevada Las Vegas is a public institution. Students who complete the general social sciences program here go on to a median salary of roughly $58,005.
Merritt College came in at #11 for general social sciences graduate earnings this year. Merritt College is a public school located in the city of Oakland. After graduating, general social sciences degree recipients from Merritt College typically earn about $47,026 annually.
Saint Thomas Aquinas College placed #12 among the highest-paying schools for general social sciences. Set in the suburb of Sparkill, Saint Thomas Aquinas College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career general social sciences graduates from Saint Thomas Aquinas College make a median of around $56,918 per year.
Campbell University landed the #13 spot for general social sciences salaries this year. Campbell University is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Buies Creek. After graduating, general social sciences degree recipients from Campbell University typically earn about $64,273 annually.
Laney College placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for general social sciences. Located in the city of Oakland, Laney College is a public institution. Early-career general social sciences graduates from Laney College make a median of around $46,766 per year.
Caldwell College landed the #15 spot for general social sciences salaries this year. Located in the suburb of Caldwell, Caldwell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the general social sciences program here go on to a median salary of roughly $55,774.
Arizona State University came in at #16 for general social sciences graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a public institution. After graduating, general social sciences degree recipients from Arizona State University typically earn about $54,668 annually.
Bethel University Minnesota placed #17 among the highest-paying schools for general social sciences. Set in the suburb of Saint Paul, Bethel University Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution. General Social Sciences graduates of Bethel University Minnesota earn a median of about $52,106 a year early in their careers.
Mt San Antonio College landed the #18 spot for general social sciences salaries this year. Located in the suburb of Walnut, Mt San Antonio College is a public institution. General Social Sciences graduates of Mt San Antonio College earn a median of about $45,149 a year early in their careers.
Thomas Edison State College placed #19 among the highest-paying schools for general social sciences. Set in the city of Trenton, Thomas Edison State College is a public institution. General Social Sciences graduates of Thomas Edison State College earn a median of about $62,477 a year early in their careers.
Yuba College landed the #20 spot for general social sciences salaries this year. Located in the suburb of Marysville, Yuba College is a public institution. After graduating, general social sciences degree recipients from Yuba College typically earn about $43,112 annually.
University Of Maryland University College ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general social sciences schools. Set in the suburb of Adelphi, University Of Maryland University College is a public institution. Students who complete the general social sciences program here go on to a median salary of roughly $53,628.
Upper Iowa University landed the #22 spot for general social sciences salaries this year. Located in the rural area of Fayette, Upper Iowa University is a private not-for-profit institution. General Social Sciences graduates of Upper Iowa University earn a median of about $43,032 a year early in their careers.
Michigan State University ranked #23 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general social sciences schools. Set in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a public institution. After graduating, general social sciences degree recipients from Michigan State University typically earn about $57,882 annually.
Washington State University ranked #24 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying general social sciences schools. Washington State University is a public school located in the town of Pullman. Early-career general social sciences graduates from Washington State University make a median of around $59,442 per year.
Central Washington University earned the #25 position for general social sciences graduate earnings this year. Central Washington University is a public school located in the town of Ellensburg. After graduating, general social sciences degree recipients from Central Washington University typically earn about $60,508 annually.
These schools also send general social sciences graduates into strong-paying careers this year:
This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries general social sciences graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 100 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.