Best Colleges for Social Sciences
Social sciences encompass political science, sociology, anthropology, and related fields that examine human behavior and society. These top-ranked colleges provide interdisciplinary programs with research opportunities and pathways to law, policy, and graduate study. Rankings weigh school reputation, graduation rates, program enrollment, and post-graduation salary.
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Top 100 schools ranked in this list.
| Rank | School | Tuition | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Dartmouth College Hanover, NH, 03755 | $71,265 | 5% |
| #2 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, 19104 | $71,236 | 5% |
| #3 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN, 37240 | $71,226 | 6% |
| #4 | Yale University New Haven, CT, 06520 | $69,900 | 4% |
| #5 | Princeton University Princeton, NJ, 08544 | $65,210 | 5% |
| #6 | University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA, 90095 | - | 9% |
| #7 | Brown University Providence, RI, 02912 | $74,550 | 5% |
| #8 | Providence College Providence, RI, 02918 | $65,960 | 51% |
| #9 | Stanford University Stanford, CA, 94305 | $68,544 | 4% |
| #10 | University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA, 94720 | - | 11% |
| #11 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA, 02138 | $64,796 | 4% |
| #12 | Union College Schenectady, NY, 12308 | $71,676 | 44% |
| #13 | Rollins College Winter Park, FL, 32789 | $62,950 | 48% |
| #14 | University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC, 27599 | - | 15% |
| #15 | St. Olaf College Northfield, MN, 55057 | $62,700 | 48% |
| #16 | Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL, 60045 | $58,902 | 57% |
| #17 | New York University New York, NY, 10012 | $65,622 | 9% |
| #18 | SUNY--Geneseo Geneseo, NY, 14454 | - | 66% |
| #19 | William & Mary Williamsburg, VA, 23185 | - | 34% |
| #20 | John Carroll University University Heights, OH, 44118 | $51,960 | 81% |
| #21 | St. Mary's College of Maryland Marys City, MD, 20686 | - | 69% |
| #22 | Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA, 24450 | - | 71% |
| #23 | Bryant University Smithfield, RI, 02917 | $54,404 | 68% |
| #24 | University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA, 93106 | - | 33% |
| #25 | Tufts University Medford, MA, 02155 | $73,616 | 12% |
| #26 | Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA, 23606 | - | 86% |
| #27 | Kenyon College Gambier, OH, 43022 | - | 31% |
| #28 | University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, 92697 | - | 29% |
| #29 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL, 32611 | - | 24% |
| #30 | Saint Mary's College of California Moraga, CA, 94575 | $59,769 | 89% |
| #31 | Lycoming College Williamsport, PA, 17701 | $51,724 | 74% |
| #32 | California Polytechnic State University--San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407 | - | 31% |
| #33 | The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC, 29409 | - | 93% |
| #34 | Wake Forest University Salem, NC, 27109 | $70,332 | 22% |
| #35 | Niagara University Niagara University, NY, 14109 | $40,180 | 87% |
| #36 | Loyola University Maryland Baltimore, MD, 21210 | $59,150 | 75% |
| #37 | Howard University Washington, DC, 20059 | $38,936 | 41% |
| #38 | Butler University Indianapolis, IN, 46208 | $49,890 | 85% |
| #39 | University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN, 46556 | $67,607 | 11% |
| #40 | University of Washington Seattle, WA, 98195 | - | 39% |
| #41 | Boston University Boston, MA, 02215 | $71,372 | 11% |
| #42 | Morehouse College Atlanta, GA, 30314 | $34,030 | 44% |
| #43 | University of Maryland, College Park College Park, MD, 20742 | - | 45% |
| #44 | Le Moyne College SYRACUSE, NY, 13214 | $41,946 | 74% |
| #45 | Furman University Greenville, SC, 29613 | $61,444 | 43% |
| #46 | The University of Texas--Austin Austin, TX, 78705 | - | 27% |
| #47 | Siena University Loudonville, NY, 12211 | $47,990 | 78% |
| #48 | CUNY--Baruch College New York, NY, 10010 | - | 48% |
| #49 | Mount St. Mary's University Emmitsburg, MD, 21727 | $50,200 | 74% |
| #50 | Fairleigh Dickinson University--Florham Campus | $38,564 | 84% |
| #51 | University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA, 22401 | - | 80% |
| #52 | University of Rochester Rochester, NY, 14627 | $70,384 | 40% |
| #53 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL, 61820 | - | 42% |
| #54 | Hiram College Hiram, OH, 44234 | $30,720 | 92% |
| #55 | Stetson University DeLand, FL, 32723 | $59,690 | 72% |
| #56 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University--Prescott Prescott, AZ, 86301 | $45,766 | 77% |
| #57 | Dominican University River Forest, IL, 60305 | $40,458 | 90% |
| #58 | Centre College Danville, KY, 40422 | $55,490 | 54% |
| #59 | Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL, 60126 | $44,583 | 74% |
| #60 | St. Mary's University of San Antonio San Antonio, TX, 78228 | $38,670 | 98% |
| #61 | Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ, 07430 | - | 71% |
| #62 | Illinois College Jacksonville, IL, 62650 | $39,854 | 78% |
| #63 | University of Dallas Irving, TX, 75062 | $56,630 | 53% |
| #64 | Purchase College--SUNY Purchase, NY, 10577 | - | 74% |
| #65 | Cottey College Nevada, MO, 64772 | $29,594 | 70% |
| #66 | The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, 43210 | - | 61% |
| #67 | Northeastern University Boston, MA, 02115 | $69,289 | 5% |
| #68 | Colby College Waterville, ME, 04901 | $72,910 | 7% |
| #69 | Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA, 19081 | $69,226 | 7% |
| #70 | Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA, 24450 | $71,365 | 14% |
| #71 | Bates College Lewiston, ME, 04240 | $70,146 | 13% |
| #72 | Wellesley College Wellesley, MA, 02481 | $70,144 | 14% |
| #73 | Hamilton College Clinton, NY, 13323 | $72,690 | 14% |
| #74 | United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD, 21403 | - | 9% |
| #75 | College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA, 01060 | $68,090 | 18% |
| #76 | Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA, 91711 | $72,120 | 10% |
| #77 | United States Military Academy at West Point West Point, NY, 10996 | - | 12% |
| #78 | Spelman College Atlanta, GA, 30314 | $32,470 | 25% |
| #79 | Davidson College Davidson, NC, 28035 | $69,065 | 13% |
| #80 | Lafayette College Easton, PA, 18042 | $66,856 | 31% |
| #81 | Wesleyan University Middletown, CT, 06459 | $72,828 | 16% |
| #82 | Trinity College Hartford, CT, 06106 | $73,590 | 29% |
| #83 | Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME, 04011 | $71,740 | 7% |
| #84 | Carleton College Northfield, MN, 55057 | $72,069 | 20% |
| #85 | Grinnell College Grinnell, IA, 50112 | $72,346 | 15% |
| #86 | Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA, 17837 | $70,576 | 29% |
| #87 | Barnard College New York, NY, 10027 | $73,033 | 9% |
| #88 | Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO, 80903 | $73,566 | 18% |
| #89 | Colgate University Hamilton, NY, 13346 | $73,646 | 14% |
| #90 | Haverford College Haverford, PA, 19041 | $73,568 | 12% |
| #91 | Smith College Northampton, MA, 01063 | $67,448 | 21% |
| #92 | Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA, 19010 | $69,220 | 29% |
| #93 | Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866 | $70,430 | 21% |
| #94 | Florida State University Tallahassee, FL, 32306 | - | 24% |
| #95 | Brandeis University Waltham, MA, 02454 | $70,957 | 41% |
| #96 | University of Georgia Athens, GA, 30602 | - | 38% |
| #97 | College of the Ozarks Point Lookout, MO, 65726 | $24,420 | 12% |
| #98 | Towson University Towson, MD, 21252 | - | 82% |
| #99 | Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA, 01075 | $68,054 | 36% |
| #100 | Flagler College Augustine, FL, 32084 | $33,390 | 81% |
This ranking only displays the Top 100 schools. The full ranking includes more institutions not shown here.