College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region

89 Colleges in the Far Western US Region
55,939 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$35,260 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in social sciences is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #5 out of 38 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 89 schools in the Far Western US Region to determine which ones were the best for social sciences students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 55,939 degrees in social sciences to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Social Sciences School

Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region Your choice of social sciences school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Social Sciences School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Social Sciences Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Social Sciences
Bachelor's Degrees in Social Sciences
Master's Degrees in Social Sciences
Doctor's Degrees in Social Sciences

The social sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Social Sciences in the Far Western US Region

If you aren't 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. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

13 Top Far Western US Region Schools in Social Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
435 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
17.9% Growth in Graduates

Stanford University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in social sciences. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were about 435 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent data year. Those social sciences students who get their degree from Stanford University make $20,515 more than the average social sciences student.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Stanford University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,954 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$53,003 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in social sciences needs to check out University of California - Berkeley. UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1954.0000000000002 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Those social sciences students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley receive $17,743 more than the average social sciences grad.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of California - Berkeley

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2,831 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$37,683 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you want to pursue a degree in social sciences. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were about 2831 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. Those social sciences students who get their degree from University of California - Los Angeles receive $2,423 more than the typical social sciences grad.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of California - Los Angeles

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
986 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
1.0% Growth in Graduates

University of Southern California is a good decision for students interested in a degree in social sciences. USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 986 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Social Sciences degree recipients from University of Southern California earn a boost of about $12,098 above the average earnings of social sciences majors.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of Southern California

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
206 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
13.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Claremont, Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Claremont McKenna is a great college overall.

There were roughly 206 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Claremont McKenna in the most recent data year. Those social sciences students who get their degree from Claremont McKenna College make $60,306 more than the average social sciences student.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Claremont McKenna College

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,894 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$37,039 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1894.0000000000002 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, social sciences degree recipients usually earn around $37,039 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of California - Santa Barbara

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,366 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
2.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1366 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Social Sciences degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus earn a boost of approximately $9,680 over the average earnings of social sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,622 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$33,988 Median Starting Salary

UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the city of Irvine. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.

There were approximately 1622 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the social sciences program state that they receive average early career wages of $33,988.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of California - Irvine

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,260 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$39,265 Median Starting Salary

UCSD is a fairly large public university located in the large city of La Jolla. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1260 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the social sciences degree program at University of California - San Diego earn $4,005 more than the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of California - San Diego

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,505 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$33,118 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #52 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1505 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the social sciences program earn around $33,118 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of California - Davis

11
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
209 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$50,144 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Clara, SCU is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #50 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SCU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 209 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at SCU in the most recent year we have data available. Social Sciences degree recipients from Santa Clara University get an earnings boost of around $14,885 over the average income of social sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Santa Clara University

12
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, CA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
97 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
2.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Claremont, Pomona is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #57 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Pomona is a great college overall.

There were approximately 97 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Pomona in the most recent data year. Social Sciences degree recipients from Pomona College receive an earnings boost of around $31,778 over the typical income of social sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Pomona College

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
725 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$31,412 Median Starting Salary

UC Santa Cruz is a large public university located in the city of Santa Cruz. This university ranks 19th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 725 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the social sciences program state that they receive average early career earnings of $31,412.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of California - Santa Cruz

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Social Sciences students in the Far Western US Region that almost earned our Best Social Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region award.

RankCollegeLocation
14University of California - RiversideRiverside, CA
15Claremont Graduate UniversityClaremont, CA
16Middlebury Institute of International Studies at MontereyMonterey, CA
17Occidental CollegeLos Angeles, CA
18University of OregonEugene, OR
19California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
20Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA
21San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
22San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA

Best Social Sciences Colleges by State

Explore the best social sciences colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
California3851,321
Washington373,809
Oregon372,616
Hawaii36586
Nevada35922
Alaska3390

View All Rankings >

Social Sciences Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
Sociology15,078
Economics12,012
Political Science & Government9,771
General Social Sciences9,542
Anthropology3,312
Geography & Cartography1,818
International Relations & National Security1,575
Other Social Sciences477
Urban Studies453
Archeology72

View All Social Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options