2025 Best Social Sciences Master's Degree Schools
If you plan on getting your master's degree in
social sciences, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #9 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.
College Factual looked at 199 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Social Sciences Master's Degree Schools ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 17,401 master's degrees in social sciences to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Choosing a Great Social Sciences School for Your Master's Degree
Your choice of social sciences for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
A Great Overall School
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Early-Career Earnings
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
Other Factors We Consider
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
- Major Focus - How much a school focuses on social sciences students vs. other majors.
- Major Demand - How many other social sciences students want to attend this school to pursue a master's degree.
- Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
- Student Debt - How easy is it for social sciences to pay back their student loans after receiving their master's degree.
- Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized social sciences related body.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for social sciences students working on their master's degree.
More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Social Sciences Master's Degree Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Social Sciences in the United States
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in social sciences. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
25 Top Schools for a Master's in Social Sciences
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1,085
Annual Graduates
Johns Hopkins University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in social sciences. Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Johns Hopkins University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
79
Annual Graduates
Northwestern University is a wonderful option for individuals interested in a master's degree in social sciences. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Northwestern University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
113
Annual Graduates
Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in social sciences has to take a look at Cornell University. Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Cornell University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
29
Annual Graduates
Vanderbilt University is a great option for students interested in a master's degree in social sciences. Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Vanderbilt University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
273
Annual Graduates
Located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Harvard University