Social Sciences, Other: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Social Sciences, Other graduates earn a median $56,812 four years after finishing — $8,452/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 8 years. Federal data pools 112 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 1,416 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $101,138 |
| 2 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick | NJ | $80,700 |
| 3 | New York University | NY | $74,983 |
| 4 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center | NY | $69,996 |
| 5 | University of California-Davis | CA | $68,535 |
| 6 | University of Rochester | NY | $68,333 |
| 7 | Loyola University Maryland | MD | $67,373 |
| 8 | University of Rhode Island | RI | $66,738 |
| 9 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $65,085 |
| 10 | Towson University | MD | $62,559 |
| 11 | St Lawrence University | NY | $60,518 |
| 12 | Kalamazoo College | MI | $59,193 |
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.