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2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region

30 Ranked Colleges
603 Degrees Awarded
$56,630 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Social Sciences is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 205,984 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $36,262 and had an average of $23,306 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 22,158 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,460 and $24,793 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 603 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $74,305 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 30 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social sciences. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in social sciences.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region doctor’s degree social sciences students.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences in the Great Lakes Region

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 108 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Chicago

2
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 23 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Notre Dame

3
Hillsdale College crest
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hillsdale College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Hillsdale College is located in Hillsdale, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Hillsdale College

4
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 30 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #4 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 46 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Northwestern

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 75 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison

6
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full IU Bloomington Social Sciences Report

7
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Michigan State

8

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Social Sciences at SIUC

9

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 46 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full U-M Social Sciences Report

10

With a ranking of #10, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 45 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at Ohio State University - Main Campus

11

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 39 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at UIUC

12

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s social sciences degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Northern Illinois University

13

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Illinois at Chicago

14

Kent State University at Kent ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s social sciences degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Kent State

15

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Bowling Green, Ohio. It awarded 7 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

16

With a ranking of #16, Case Western Reserve University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Case Western Reserve University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 6 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University

17
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 8 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Loyola Chicago

18

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UWM is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Social Sciences at UWM

19

University of Akron Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Akron, Ohio that handed out 6 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Akron Main Campus

20
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 17 degrees to qualified doctorate’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Social Sciences Report

21
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

With a ranking of #21, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Wayne State is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Full Wayne State University Social Sciences Report

22
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s social sciences degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Social Sciences at WMU

23

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s social sciences degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

24

Cleveland State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Cleveland State University is a fairly large public school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 2 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Social Sciences at Cleveland State University

25
University of Toledo crest
University of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio

University of Toledo came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Social Sciences Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Toledo is located in Toledo, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Toledo

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