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Best universities for social sciences degrees in the US 2024

Explore the best universities in the US for social sciences degrees, using data from the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024

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December 1 2023
Best universities in the US for social sciences degrees

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Top 10 universities in the US for social science degrees 2024

Scroll down for the full list of best universities for social sciences in the US

US social science rank 2024Social science rank 2024 UniversityState
=1=1 Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts
=1=1 Stanford UniversityCalifornia
34 Harvard UniversityMassachusetts
45 Princeton UniversityNew Jersey
57 University of California, BerkeleyCalifornia
69 University of Michigan-Ann ArborMichigan
710 Yale UniversityConnecticut
811 The University of ChicagoIllinois
912 Columbia UniversityNew York
1013 University of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania

As the home to some of the top universities in the world, the US is a great place to study for a social science degree.

Undergraduate programmes in the US are typically four years long and include the opportunity to study multiple subjects in the first two years, before specialising in the second half of your degree.

Subjects you study alongside your specialisation are known as minors, and your specialisation is your major, or special concentration. This format allows for a level of flexibility and allows students to get a grounding across the social sciences.

There are also a huge range of postgraduate options at US universities for students interested in pursuing further research in the social sciences. 

Below are the top universities for social sciences in the US, according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024.


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5. University of California, Berkeley

The social sciences division at the University of California, Berkeley is the university’s largest division and is home to around 25 per cent of student enrolments and 20 per cent of faculty. 

Social science programmes at Berkeley encourage students to consider real-world issues such as how refugees, population displacement and inequality affect human society or the impacts of technology on cognition and how citizens can become more informed and responsible. 

There are 15 departments within the social sciences division, ranging from African American studies to cognitive science, economics to global studies. Courses are available at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

4. Princeton University

Princeton University offers four main areas of study: humanities, engineering and applied science, natural sciences and social sciences. A key feature of a Princeton education is independent research, whether that is carried out by undergraduate seniors writing their thesis or graduate students completing their dissertation.

There are both undergraduate and graduate degree programmes available in the social sciences at the university. Students can choose to study courses from a range of disciplines such as American studies, economics, European cultural studies, gender and sexuality studies, and health policy.

Princeton has a number of institutes, centres and schools that facilitate research into society and politics, including the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and the Kahneman-Treisman Center for Behavioral Science and Public Policy.


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3. Harvard University

Social sciences courses at Harvard University are largely interdisciplinary. Students are encouraged to study a broad range of subjects at the undergraduate level before specialising in their chosen major, or concentration as it’s known at Harvard.

Common fields of study for Harvard undergraduates include economics, government, sociology, gender studies and psychology. For all these subjects, both undergraduates and graduates are expected to conduct empirical research and analyse data. Senior thesis projects can involve qualitative or quantitative research methods, or both.

One initiative central to the division of social science at Harvard University is the Donald T. Regan Fund. This was established to support programmes that bring diverse speakers to the university to lecture to undergraduates. Speakers discuss economics, government and social problems both nationally and internationally and provide students with new ways of thinking about and seeing the world.

=1. Stanford University

The School of Humanities and Sciences at Stanford University offers social sciences courses in anthropology, communication, economics, political science, psychology and sociology.

In political science classes, undergraduates study US politics and international political systems in relation to conflict, social activism, ideology and race issues. The department of anthropology is known for an innovative approach where the subject must be studied in relation to contemporary affairs.

A range of interdisciplinary degree programmes join together traditionally disparate subjects in the humanities and sciences; these include African studies, biophysics, comparative studies in race and ethnicity, international relations and more.

Stanford is also home to globally renowned centres and institutes that facilitate social sciences research. These include the Center for Computational, Evolutionary and Human Genomics, the Institute for Research in the Social Sciences, and the Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research.

=1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has five academic schools, including the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.

The School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences offers a range of courses at both undergraduate and graduate level. Fields include anthropology, economics, global languages, history and philosophy. All undergraduate students at MIT take classes in the arts and social sciences and many end up taking joint degrees between the sciences and the social sciences. 

There are also a number of PhD programmes available. 

Research is carried out in areas including human health, the health of the planet and social innovation. There are four Nobel laureates, seven MacArthur fellows and five Pulitzer prize-winners who are current faculty members.


Top universities in the US for social sciences degrees 2024

Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 2024 results. 

US social science rank 2024Social science rank 2024 UniversityState
=1=1 Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMassachusetts
=1=1 Stanford UniversityCalifornia
34 Harvard UniversityMassachusetts
45 Princeton UniversityNew Jersey
57 University of California, BerkeleyCalifornia
69 University of Michigan-Ann ArborMichigan
710 Yale UniversityConnecticut
811 The University of ChicagoIllinois
912 Columbia UniversityNew York
1013 University of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania
1115 University of California, Los AngelesCalifornia
12=18 Johns Hopkins UniversityMaryland
1320 Cornell UniversityNew York
1422 University of WashingtonWashington
1523 New York UniversityNew York
16=25 University of Wisconsin-MadisonWisconsin
1729 Duke UniversityNorth Carolina
1830 University of North Carolina at Chapel HillNorth Carolina
19=31 Northwestern UniversityIllinois
2034 University of Texas at AustinTexas
21=42 University of Southern CaliforniaCalifornia
2247 Ohio State University (Main campus)Ohio
2348 University of California, San DiegoCalifornia
2455 Indiana UniversityIndiana
2556 University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignIllinois
2660 Carnegie Mellon UniversityPennsylvania
2765 Arizona State University (Tempe)Arizona
2867 Brown UniversityRhode Island
29=69 University of Maryland, College ParkMaryland
3071 University of MinnesotaMinnesota
3173 Georgetown UniversityWashington DC
32=77 University of California, Santa BarbaraCalifornia
3382 Washington University in St LouisMissouri
3484 Penn State (Main campus)Pennsylvania
3586 Michigan State UniversityMichigan
36=89 University of California, DavisCalifornia
3792 University of ArizonaArizona
38=93 University of California, IrvineCalifornia
=39101–125 Boston UniversityMassachusetts
=39101–125 Emory UniversityGeorgia
=39101–125 University of FloridaFlorida
=39101–125 George Washington UniversityWashington DC
=39101–125 University of MassachusettsMassachusetts
=39101–125 University of Notre DameIndiana
=39101–125 Purdue University West LafayettePennsylvania
=39101–125 Texas A&M UniversityTexas
=39101–125 Vanderbilt UniversityTennessee
=48126–150 Florida State UniversityFlorida
=48126–150 University of GeorgiaGeorgia
=48126–150 Georgia Institute of TechnologyGeorgia
=48126–150 Syracuse UniversityNew York
=52151–175 Boston CollegeMassachusetts
=52151–175 University of California, Santa CruzCalifornia
=52151–175 University of Colorado BoulderColorado
=52151–175 Dartmouth CollegeNew Hampshire
=52151–175 Drexel UniversityPennsylvania
=52151–175 Northeastern University, USIllinois
=52151–175 University of RochesterNew York
=59176–200 George Mason UniversityVirginia
=59176–200 North Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina
=59176–200 University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh campusPennsylvania
=59176–200 Rutgers University – New BrunswickNew Jersey
=59176–200 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityVirginia
=64201–250 Clark UniversityMassachusetts
=64201–250 University of Hawai’i at MānoaHawai'i
=64201–250 University of Illinois ChicagoIllinois
=64201–250 University of IowaIowa
=64201–250 University of MiamiFlorida
=64201–250 The New SchoolNew York
=64201–250 Rice UniversityTexas
=64201–250 Tufts UniversityMassachusetts
=64201–250 University of Virginia (Main campus)Virginia
=73251–300 University at BuffaloNew York
=73251–300 University of ConnecticutConnecticut
=73251–300 Georgia State UniversityGeorgia
=73251–300 University of South Carolina-ColumbiaSouth Carolina
=73251–300 University of South FloridaFlorida
=73251–300 The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleTennessee
=73251–300 University of UtahUtah
=80301–400 American UniversityWashington DC
=80301–400 University of California, MercedCalifornia
=80301–400 University of California, RiversideCalifornia
=80301–400 University of Central FloridaFlorida
=80301–400 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusColorado
=80301–400 Colorado State University, Fort CollinsColorado
=80301–400 Iowa State UniversityIowa
=80301–400 University of KansasKansas
=80301–400 University of KentuckyKentucky
=80301–400 University of OregonOregon
=80301–400 Stony Brook UniversityNew York
=80301–400 Temple UniversityIndiana
=80301–400 Washington State UniversityWashington 
=93401–500 University of Alaska FairbanksAlaska
=93401–500 Brandeis UniversityMassachusetts
=93401–500 Case Western Reserve UniversityOhio
=93401–500 University of DelawareDelaware
=93401–500 University of DenverColorado
=93401–500 Florida International UniversityFlorida
=93401–500 University of HoustonTexas
=93401–500 Mizzou - University of MissouriMissouri
=93401–500 University of Nebraska-LincolnNebraska
=93401–500 University of Nevada, Las VegasNevada
=93401–500 Old Dominion UniversityVirginia
=93401–500 Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteNew York
=93401–500 SUNY Binghamton UniversityNew York
=93401–500 University of Texas at DallasTexas
=93401–500 Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVirginia
=93401–500 Wake Forest UniversityNorth Carolina
=109501–600 University of AlabamaAlabama
=109501–600 University of ArkansasArkansas
=109501–600 Auburn UniversityAlabama
=109501–600 Chapman UniversityCalifornia
=109501–600 Lehigh UniversityPennsylvania
=109501–600 Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana
=109501–600 University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyMaryland
=109501–600 Northern Illinois UniversityIllinois
=109501–600 Oklahoma State UniversityOklahoma
=109501–600 Portland State UniversityOregon
=109501–600 The University of Texas at San AntonioTexas
=109501–600 Texas Tech UniversityTexas
=109501–600 University of ToledoOhio
=109501–600 Tulane UniversityLouisiana
=109501–600 William & MaryVirginia
=109501–600 Worcester Polytechnic InstituteMassachusetts
=109501–600 University of WyomingWyoming
=126601–800 Baylor UniversityTexas
=126601–800 Bowling Green State UniversityOhio
=126601–800 Central Michigan UniversityMichigan
=126601–800 Florida Atlantic UniversityFlorida
=126601–800 Georgia Southern UniversityGeorgia
=126601–800 Kansas State UniversityKansas
=126601–800 Marquette UniversityWisconsin
=126601–800 University of MemphisTennessee
=126601–800 Mississippi State UniversityMississippi
=126601–800 Montana State UniversityMontana
=126601–800 New Mexico State University (Main campus)New Mexico
=126601–800 University of North Carolina at CharlotteNorth Carolina
=126601–800 Ohio University (Main campus)Ohio
=126601–800 Rochester Institute of TechnologyNew York
=126601–800 Saint Louis UniversityMissouri
=126601–800 San Diego State UniversityCalifornia
=126601–800 University of Texas at ArlingtonTexas
=126601–800 University of Texas at El PasoTexas
=126601–800 Texas State UniversityTexas
=126601–800 Wayne State UniversityMichigan
=146801+ Adelphi UniversityNew York
=146801+ The Catholic University of AmericaWashington DC
=146801+ College of CharlestonSouth Carolina
=146801+ Howard UniversityWashington DC
=146801+ Morgan State UniversityMaryland
=146801+ Oakland UniversityMichigan
=146801+ University of Rhode IslandRhode Island
=146801+ Rowan UniversityNew Jersey
=146801+ University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyTexas
=146801+ Western Michigan UniversityMichigan

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