Social Sciences, General: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Social Sciences, General graduates earn a median $53,366 four years after finishing — $5,006/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 13.5 years. Federal data pools 294 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 5,311 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vanderbilt University | TN | $103,229 |
| 2 | New York University | NY | $91,917 |
| 3 | Harvard University | MA | $78,996 |
| 4 | Manhattan University | NY | $75,745 |
| 5 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | $75,301 |
| 6 | Campbell University | NC | $71,052 |
| 7 | Towson University | MD | $68,242 |
| 8 | University of Massachusetts Global | CA | $64,307 |
| 9 | Thomas Edison State University | NJ | $63,772 |
| 10 | California State University-San Marcos | CA | $63,622 |
| 11 | Empire State University | NY | $61,925 |
| 12 | Washington State University | WA | $61,617 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.