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2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate

204 Ranked Colleges
3,487 Degrees Awarded
$62,624 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,487 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate” ranking looked at 204 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social sciences. To top this list, a school must have a successful social sciences program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate

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

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 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 108 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 100%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Social Sciences at UChicago

2
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate list. Harvard is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 77 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Harvard University

3

Out of the 204 schools in the Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 75 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 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

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 75 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UC Berkeley

5
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 204 schools in the Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #5 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 66 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Stanford Social Sciences Report

6

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s social sciences degrees to 62 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at UCLA

7
Capella University crest
Capella University
Minneapolis, Minnesota

Capella University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate ranking. Capella University is a private for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 61 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Social Sciences at Capella University

8

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 59 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UMN Twin Cities

8

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 59 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 University of Maryland - College Park Social Sciences Report

10

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate ranking. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 55 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Social Sciences Report

11
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate list. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 52 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Yale University

11
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate list. Princeton is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 doctorate’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Social Sciences at Princeton

13
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

With a ranking of #13, The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate list. The Graduate Center is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 50 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full The Graduate Center Social Sciences Report

14
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate list. UPenn is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Pennsylvania

14
NYU crest
New York University
New York, New York

New York University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate ranking. NYU is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 47 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Social Sciences at NYU

14
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #14. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 47 degrees to qualified doctorate’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Michigan State Social Sciences Report

14
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

With a ranking of #14, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate list. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s social sciences degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Full Cornell University Social Sciences Report

14

University of California - Irvine came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate ranking. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of California - Irvine

19
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 46 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s social sciences students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Social Sciences at Northwestern University

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 46 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Social Sciences Report

21

With a ranking of #21, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 45 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Ohio State

22

University of California - Davis came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 44 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at UC Davis

22

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate ranking. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 44 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 91%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Indiana University - Bloomington

24
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

Duke University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #24. Duke University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 40 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 Duke University Social Sciences Report

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate list. 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UIUC Social Sciences Report

25
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #25. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 39 doctorate’s social sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Arizona

Rest of the Best 33 in Most Well Attended Social Sciences Major for a Doctorate

Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

27
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
28
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
28
30
30
30
30
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
30

Notes and References

References

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