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2024 Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia

22 Colleges in Virginia
7,305 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$39,029 Avg Early-Career Salary
Social Sciences is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #5 most popular degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual looked at 22 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 7,305 degrees in social sciences to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Social Sciences School

Best Social Sciences Schools in Virginia The social sciences program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Social Sciences rankings. We derive our Best Overall Social Sciences School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Social Sciences 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

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 Schools in Virginia list, to help you choose the best school for you. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Social Sciences in Virginia

The schools below may not offer all types of social sciences degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Social Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
989 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$42,285 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of Virginia - Main Campus if you wish to pursue a degree in social sciences. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #33 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were about 989 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent year we have data available. Those social sciences students who get their degree from University of Virginia - Main Campus make $3,257 more than the standard social sciences grad.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of Virginia - Main Campus

2
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
710 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$37,945 Median Starting Salary

Virginia Tech is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in social sciences. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. A Best Colleges rank of #62 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were roughly 710 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, social sciences degree recipients generally earn about $37,945 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Virginia Tech

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
148 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
6.8% Growth in Graduates

Washington and Lee University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in social sciences. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit university located in the distant town of Lexington. A Best Colleges rank of #83 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Washington and Lee is a great university overall.

There were about 148 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Washington and Lee in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the social sciences major at Washington and Lee University get $10,408 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Washington and Lee University

4
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
407 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$44,450 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat William & Mary if you wish to pursue a degree in social sciences. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the small suburb of Williamsburg. A Best Colleges rank of #111 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were approximately 407 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent year we have data available. Social Sciences degree recipients from William & Mary receive an earnings boost of about $5,421 over the typical earnings of social sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in social sciences from William & Mary

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
739 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$55,675 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 739 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Those social sciences students who get their degree from George Mason University receive $16,647 more than the typical social sciences grad.

More information about a degree in social sciences from George Mason University

6
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
421 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
1.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #169 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 421 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the social sciences program make about $37,763 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in social sciences from James Madison University

7
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
120 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
9.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of University of Richmond, URichmond is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #282 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means URichmond is a great university overall.

There were about 120 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at URichmond in the most recent data year. Those social sciences students who get their degree from University of Richmond make $9,719 more than the typical social sciences graduate.

More information about a degree in social sciences from University of Richmond

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
424 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
2.6% Growth in Graduates

Old Dominion is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Norfolk. This university ranks 14th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 424 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at Old Dominion 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 income of $30,768.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Old Dominion University

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
365 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$28,787 Median Starting Salary

VCU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #240 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were about 365 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the social sciences program report average early career earnings of $28,787.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Virginia Commonwealth University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
160 Social Sciences Degrees Awarded
$38,398 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Newport News, CNU is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 17th out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 160 social sciences students who graduated with this degree at CNU in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the social sciences program earn about $38,398 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in social sciences from Christopher Newport University

Best Social Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Social Sciences Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
North Carolina385,094
West Virginia38783
South Carolina381,873
Florida388,144
Arkansas38895
Mississippi38722
Tennessee372,193
Louisiana371,518
Alabama371,604
Kentucky371,324
Georgia373,895

View All Rankings >

Social Sciences Majors to Study

MajorAnnual Graduates
Political Science & Government1,806
General Social Sciences1,311
Economics1,276
International Relations & National Security1,125
Sociology912
Geography & Cartography248
Anthropology221
Urban Studies73
Other Social Sciences11
Sociology & Anthropology10

View All Social Sciences Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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