Social Sciences, Other Degree
Students study specialized or interdisciplinary social science topics such as demography, social informatics, or applied social research that combine methods from multiple disciplines. Graduates typically pursue careers in research, data analysis, policy consulting, and social impact assessment depending on their specific focus. This category accommodates innovative programs that cross traditional social science boundaries.
What Social Sciences, Other Graduates Do
Your broad social sciences degree often leads to a practical and surprisingly common outcome: a career in management. You won't just be theorizing; you'll be running teams, managing budgets, and approving project plans in government agencies, non-profits, or private companies. Career progression is straightforward, moving from overseeing a small team to directing an entire division. While management roles are plentiful and growing, the more traditional path as a specialized social scientist—conducting niche research for think tanks—is smaller and facing a slight decline. Another option involves teaching specialized social science topics at the college level, which requires an advanced degree.
With moderate AI exposure, your day-to-day work will change substantially. Expect AI to automate significant chunks of routine data analysis and report generation. This doesn't eliminate your job, but it does shift your focus. Your value will increasingly come from your ability to interpret AI-generated findings with human nuance, make complex ethical judgments, and manage interpersonal dynamics—skills that remain uniquely human.
Common Career Paths
Where Social Sciences, Other graduates typically work, ranked by salary. Salary ranges show 25th–75th percentile spread. This field has roughly 111,400 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Salary Range | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | 106,700 | +4.5% | 47% | |
| Social scientists and related workers, all other | 3,200 | -1.7% | 52% | |
| Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other | 1,500 | +1.7% | 0% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. Salary range shows 25th–median–75th percentile (national).
Best Schools for Social Sciences, Other
Top 20 of 33 schools ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.
| # | School | DW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA |
73 72–73 |
$61,109/yr | 18.1x |
| 2 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ |
62 62–62 |
$51,753/yr | 10.3x |
| 3 | CUNY Graduate School and University Center New York, NY |
59 59–59 |
$54,265/yr | 17.3x |
| 4 | University of California-Davis Davis, CA |
55 56–56 |
$45,178/yr | 9.8x |
| 5 | SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY |
54 58–55 |
$40,537/yr | 15.9x |
| 6 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY |
54 60–55 |
$37,919/yr | 19.7x |
| 7 | University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA |
50 54–50 |
$39,934/yr | 9.9x |
| 8 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Indiana, PA |
49 50–49 |
$45,509/yr | 9.0x |
| 9 | Towson University Towson, MD |
49 56–50 |
$36,279/yr | 13.2x |
| 10 | Boston University Boston, MA |
47 48–48 |
$48,243/yr | 2.0x |
| 11 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA |
47 49–47 |
$42,844/yr | 8.9x |
| 12 | Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI |
47 53–48 |
$37,408/yr | 9.9x |
| 13 | Eastern Oregon University La Grande, OR |
43 45–43 |
$42,347/yr | 8.4x |
| 14 | University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI |
43 50–44 |
$36,548/yr | 8.2x |
| 15 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA |
41 51–42 |
$30,584/yr | 11.5x |
| 16 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA |
41 51–42 |
$30,584/yr | 11.3x |
| 17 | Benedictine University Lisle, IL |
40 43–41 |
$42,023/yr | 3.1x |
| 18 | University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Green Bay, WI |
38 48–39 |
$32,860/yr | 12.8x |
| 19 | University of Rochester Rochester, NY |
36 41–36 |
$37,491/yr | 1.8x |
| 20 | University of Southern Maine Portland, ME |
36 43–37 |
$35,418/yr | 8.8x |
Highest Earning Social Sciences, Other Programs
Schools where Social Sciences, Other graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.
| School | 1-Year Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|
| University of California-Berkeley | $61,109/yr | 73 |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center | $54,265/yr | 59 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | $51,753/yr | 62 |
| Boston University | $48,243/yr | 47 |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus | $45,509/yr | 49 |
| University of California-Davis | $45,178/yr | 55 |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania | $42,844/yr | 47 |
| Eastern Oregon University | $42,347/yr | 43 |
| Benedictine University | $42,023/yr | 40 |
| SUNY Old Westbury | $40,537/yr | 54 |
Best ROI for Social Sciences, Other
Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Social Sciences, Other.
| School | ROI Multiple | Earnings | DW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | 19.7x | $37,919/yr | 54 |
| University of California-Berkeley | 18.1x | $61,109/yr | 73 |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center | 17.3x | $54,265/yr | 59 |
| SUNY Old Westbury | 15.9x | $40,537/yr | 54 |
| Towson University | 13.2x | $36,279/yr | 49 |
| University of Wisconsin-Green Bay | 12.8x | $32,860/yr | 38 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus | 11.5x | $30,584/yr | 41 |
| University of Washington-Tacoma Campus | 11.3x | $30,584/yr | 41 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 10.3x | $51,753/yr | 62 |
| Central Michigan University | 9.9x | $37,408/yr | 47 |
Related Majors
Explore similar fields of study.
Consider the Trade Route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Social Sciences, Other offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.