2026 Best Social Sciences Schools in District of Columbia
Social Sciences programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their social sciences programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for social sciences students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Social Sciences in District of Columbia
If you are not 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.
Top Schools in Social Sciences
Leading the list is Georgetown University, our #1 school for social sciences. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Washington. Georgetown University graduates 95% of students within six years. Georgetown University awarded about 1,468 social sciences degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the social sciences program make about $72,077 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $16,003 to complete this degree.
See the full social sciences program report for Georgetown University
George Washington University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in social sciences, landing the #2 spot this year. George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. About 84% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 1,261 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at George Washington University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the social sciences program make about $61,968 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $24,409 to complete this degree.
Read more about the social sciences program at George Washington University
American University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in social sciences, ranking #3. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Washington. About 76% of students finish within six years. American University awarded about 1,198 social sciences degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the social sciences program make about $59,181 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,311.
Read more about the social sciences program at American University
A rank of #4 makes Catholic University Of America one of the top schools for social sciences. Catholic University Of America is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Catholic University Of America graduates 80% of students within six years. There were roughly 69 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Catholic University Of America in the most recent data year. Students who receive their social sciences degree from Catholic University Of America earn around $44,617 in the first couple years of their career. Catholic University Of America graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans.
See the full social sciences program report for Catholic University Of America
Students looking for a strong social sciences program will find one at Trinity Washington University, which ranked #5. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Washington. About 49% of students finish within six years. About 24 social sciences degrees were awarded at Trinity Washington University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, social sciences degree recipients from Trinity Washington University generally make around $56,796. Students borrow a median of $31,194 to complete this degree.
Read more about the social sciences program at Trinity Washington University
Howard University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best social sciences schools. Located in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit university. Roughly 70% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 291 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Howard University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their social sciences degree from Howard University earn around $31,897 in the first couple years of their career. Howard University graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
Read more about the social sciences program at Howard University
University Of The District Of Columbia ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best social sciences schools. Set in the city of Washington, University Of The District Of Columbia is a moderately-sized public institution. Roughly 44% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 30 social sciences degrees were awarded at University Of The District Of Columbia in the most recent year. Students who receive their social sciences degree from University Of The District Of Columbia earn around $49,935 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $36,562 to complete this degree.
Read more about the social sciences program at University Of The District Of Columbia
More Social Sciences Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 11 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
