Best Social Sciences Universities in United States 2026
207 universities in United States offering Social Sciences programs, ranked on real data. How we rank.
Looking for the best universities to study Social Sciences in United States? We rank 207 United States universities offering Social Sciences programs, ordered only on real published data — QS World reputation, admission selectivity, graduation rates and graduate earnings.
Stanford University takes the No. 1 spot with an independent grade of A+ (4% acceptance, $124,080 median graduate earnings), followed by Harvard University and University of Chicago. Each university carries an independent ScholarshipsAds grade, so you can compare quality, selectivity, tuition and graduate outcomes at a glance.
Use this ranking to shortlist where to apply for a Social Sciences degree in United States, then open any university for its full review, programs, tuition and scholarships.
1
Stanford UniversityA+
Stanford, California · United States · Global #3 · QS #3
4% acceptance 92% graduation $124,080 earnings 7,554 students
2
Harvard UniversityA+
Cambridge, Massachusetts · United States · Global #5 · QS #5
4% acceptance 98% graduation $101,817 earnings 7,601 students
3
University of ChicagoB+
Chicago, Illinois · United States · Global #9 · QS #10
77% acceptance 62% graduation $68,740 earnings 22,170 students
4
University of PennsylvaniaA+
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · United States · Global #12 · QS #13
5% acceptance 97% graduation $111,371 earnings 10,650 students
5
Columbia UniversityA
New York, New York · United States · Global #17 · QS #19
4% acceptance 96% graduation $102,491 earnings 8,973 students
7
University of MichiganA+
Ann Arbor, Michigan · United States · Global #22 · QS #24
16% acceptance 93% graduation $83,648 earnings 34,177 students
8
Northwestern UniversityC+
Natchitoches, Louisiana · United States · Global #28 · QS #30
93% acceptance 43% graduation $47,021 earnings 5,519 students
9
New York UniversityB
New Paltz, New York · United States · Global #37 · QS #42
62% acceptance 72% graduation $58,073 earnings 6,086 students
10
Duke UniversityA
Durham, North Carolina · United States · Global #45 · QS #53
6% acceptance 97% graduation $97,800 earnings 6,442 students
11
Carnegie Mellon UniversityA
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · United States · Global #46 · QS #54
12% acceptance 94% graduation $114,862 earnings 7,304 students
12
University of Texas at AustinA-
Austin, Texas · United States · Global #56 · QS #67
27% acceptance 89% graduation $75,121 earnings 42,855 students
13
University of Wisconsin–MadisonA-
Madison, Wisconsin · United States · Global #64 · QS #76
45% acceptance 90% graduation $73,792 earnings 36,902 students
14
Rice UniversityA-
Houston, Texas · United States · Global #81 · QS #95
8% acceptance 95% graduation $89,718 earnings 4,776 students
15
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillA-
Chapel Hill, North Carolina · United States · Global #87 · QS #101
15% acceptance 91% graduation $72,200 earnings 20,752 students
16
Boston UniversityB+
Boston, Massachusetts · United States · Global #97 · QS #114
11% acceptance 89% graduation $83,238 earnings 18,248 students
17
University of Southern CaliforniaC+
Costa Mesa, California · United States · Global #99 · QS #116
62% acceptance 57% graduation $59,541 earnings 1,933 students
18
Purdue UniversityC
Fort Wayne, Indiana · United States · Global #100 · QS #117
84% acceptance 36% graduation $45,872 earnings 5,484 students
19
Michigan State UniversityB-
East Lansing, Michigan · United States · Global #136 · QS #158
85% acceptance 81% graduation $67,253 earnings 40,922 students
20
Emory UniversityB+
Atlanta, Georgia · United States · Global #138 · QS #161
11% acceptance 91% graduation $80,137 earnings 7,298 students
21
Case Western Reserve UniversityB
Cleveland, Ohio · United States · Global #139 · QS #162
37% acceptance 87% graduation $87,989 earnings 6,437 students
22
University of PittsburghB
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · United States · Global #142 · QS #165
58% acceptance 86% graduation $66,125 earnings 20,370 students
23
University of MinnesotaC+
Moorhead, Minnesota · United States · Global #156 · QS #188
59% acceptance 57% graduation $50,527 earnings 3,072 students
24
Dartmouth CollegeA-
Hanover, New Hampshire · United States · Global #160 · QS #192
5% acceptance 96% graduation $97,434 earnings 4,541 students
25
Vanderbilt UniversityB+
Nashville, Tennessee · United States · Global #183 · QS #219
6% acceptance 94% graduation $91,565 earnings 7,208 students
26
University of VirginiaA-
Charlottesville, Virginia · United States · Global #189 · QS #230
17% acceptance 96% graduation $86,863 earnings 17,597 students
27
U
University of Massachusetts AmherstB-
Amherst, Massachusetts · United States · Global #200 · QS #248
60% acceptance 83% graduation $71,631 earnings 23,671 students
28
Georgetown UniversityB+
Washington, Washington, D.C. · United States · Global #201 · QS #249
13% acceptance 95% graduation $103,494 earnings 7,569 students
29
U
University of Colorado BoulderC+
Boulder, Colorado · United States · Global #203 · QS #252
78% acceptance 74% graduation $69,738 earnings 31,939 students
30
University of ArizonaC+
Tucson, Arizona · United States · Global #214 · QS #270
86% acceptance 68% graduation $59,979 earnings 42,537 students
31
North Carolina State UniversityB
Raleigh, North Carolina · United States · Global #234 · QS #301
42% acceptance 85% graduation $68,758 earnings 27,371 students
32
I
Indiana University BloomingtonB-
Bloomington, Indiana · United States · Global #244 · QS #312
78% acceptance 80% graduation $63,742 earnings 37,806 students
34
University of KansasC+
Lawrence, Kansas · United States · Global #286 · QS #388
93% acceptance 69% graduation $61,945 earnings 21,217 students
35
U
University at BuffaloB-
Buffalo, New York · United States · Global #287 · QS #389
74% acceptance 75% graduation $70,814 earnings 20,112 students
37
Colorado State UniversityC
Fort Collins, Colorado · United States · Global #305 · QS #431
89% acceptance 67% graduation $60,543 earnings 25,538 students
38
Brandeis UniversityB-
Waltham, Massachusetts · United States · Global #319 · QS #455
41% acceptance 86% graduation $77,231 earnings 3,618 students
39
University of IowaC+
Iowa City, Iowa · United States · Global #321 · QS #457
84% acceptance 75% graduation $64,762 earnings 22,264 students
40
Florida State UniversityB
Tallahassee, Florida · United States · Global #329 · QS #475
24% acceptance 86% graduation $61,675 earnings 32,212 students
41
University of MissouriD+
Joplin, Missouri · United States · Global #330 · QS #476
97% acceptance 42% graduation $42,620 earnings 3,019 students
42
University of Texas at DallasC+
Richardson, Texas · United States · Global #333 · QS #479
65% acceptance 76% graduation $68,227 earnings 21,751 students
43
Iowa State UniversityC+
Ames, Iowa · United States · Global #342 · QS #498
89% acceptance 75% graduation $63,386 earnings 25,367 students
45
University of DelawareC-
Dover, Delaware · United States · Global #364 · QS #543
47% acceptance 39% graduation $49,307 earnings 4,398 students
46
University of TennesseeC-
Cookeville, Tennessee · United States · Global #368 · QS #551
76% acceptance 58% graduation $48,501 earnings 8,698 students
47
University of South FloridaB-
Tampa, Florida · United States · Global #380 · QS #590
43% acceptance 77% graduation $57,743 earnings 37,207 students
48
Clark UniversityD+
Atlanta, Georgia · United States · Global #396 · QS #613
64% acceptance 49% graduation $42,712 earnings 3,603 students
49
University of CincinnatiC-
Cincinnati, Ohio · United States · Global #409 · QS #641
85% acceptance 75% graduation $54,810 earnings 29,882 students
50
University of South CarolinaD+
Aiken, South Carolina · United States · Global #417 · QS #650
79% acceptance 40% graduation $45,603 earnings 2,962 students
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