Best Social Science Research Assistant programs in Arizona, ranked by enrollment
Assist social scientists in laboratory, survey, and other social science research.
27 schools in Arizona run programs that feed this job, graduating 7,577 people a year. The job pays a median of $61,680 in Arizona across about 1,020 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Arizona that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
13 programs in Arizona that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Arizona (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Arizona page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 42.0101In Arizona → | 5,087 | 67.1% | 23 | $31,426 | $25,250 |
| 2 | CIP 45.1001In Arizona → | 752 | 9.9% | 17 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 3 | Behavioral Sciencesmain feeder CIP 30.1701In Arizona → | 498 | 6.6% | 7 | $36,206 | $29,240 |
| 4 | CIP 45.1101In Arizona → | 487 | 6.4% | 14 | $34,099 | $25,000 |
| 5 | CIP 45.0603In Arizona → | 250 | 3.3% | 3 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 6 | CIP 44.0501In Arizona → | 192 | 2.5% | 3 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 7 | Social Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 45.0101In Arizona → | 145 | 1.9% | 6 | $35,590 | $24,095 |
| 8 | CIP 45.0601In Arizona → | 109 | 1.4% | 9 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 9 | CIP 30.4601In Arizona → | 36 | 0.5% | 2 | — | — |
| 10 | CIP 45.1004In Arizona → | 8 | 0.1% | 1 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 11 | CIP 45.1102In Arizona → | 8 | 0.1% | 1 | $34,099 | $25,000 |
| 12 | CIP 03.0204In Arizona → | 3 | 0.0% | 1 | $37,946 | $24,125 |
| 13 | CIP 45.0602In Arizona → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
Top 25 schools in Arizona
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 8 of the 27 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 7 feeder programs | 2,102 | Psychology, General | $37,312 | 0% | — | 67% |
| 2 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 10 feeder programs | 1,660 | Psychology, General | $37,312 | 68% | — | 90% |
| 3 | The University of Arizona Global Campus Chandler, AZ Public · 5 feeder programs | 967 | Psychology, General | $38,524 | 11% | $26,445 | — |
| 4 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Public · 7 feeder programs | 847 | Psychology, General | $33,699 | 68% | — | 86% |
| 5 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ Public · 5 feeder programs | 571 | Psychology, General | $33,844 | 61% | — | 90% |
| 6 | American InterContinental University System Chandler, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 266 | Psychology, General | — | 9% | $15,785 | — |
| 7 | Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 257 | Psychology, General | — | 43% | $21,535 | 79% |
| 8 | South Mountain Community College Phoenix, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 186 | Behavioral Sciences | — | 16% | — | — |
| 9 | Glendale Community College Glendale, AZ Public · 5 feeder programs | 145 | Behavioral Sciences | — | 16% | — | — |
| 10 | Arizona Western College Yuma, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 86 | Social Sciences, General | — | 20% | — | — |
| 11 | Mesa Community College Mesa, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 70 | Psychology, General | — | 16% | — | — |
| 12 | Estrella Mountain Community College Avondale, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 62 | Psychology, General | — | 32% | — | — |
| 13 | Chandler - Gilbert Community College Chandler, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 60 | Psychology, General | — | 30% | — | — |
| 14 | Dine College Tsaile, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 51 | Social Sciences, General | — | 13% | — | — |
| 15 | Paradise Valley Community College Phoenix, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 44 | Psychology, General | — | 19% | — | — |
| 16 | Phoenix College Phoenix, AZ Public · 5 feeder programs | 40 | Psychology, General | — | 14% | — | — |
| 17 | Prescott College Prescott, AZ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 26 | Psychology, General | $29,888 | 56% | $23,166 | 95% |
| 18 | Scottsdale Community College Scottsdale, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 26 | Psychology, General | — | 17% | — | — |
| 19 | Ottawa University - Surprise Surprise, AZ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 20 | Psychology, General | $39,596 | 18% | $34,373 | 78% |
| 20 | Mohave Community College Kingman, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Behavioral Sciences | — | 38% | — | — |
| 21 | Cochise County Community College District Sierra Vista, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Social Sciences, General | — | 30% | — | — |
| 22 | Rio Salado College Tempe, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 14 | Psychology, General | — | 9% | — | — |
| 23 | Crestpoint University Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Psychology, General | — | 33% | $15,215 | — |
| 24 | Eastern Arizona College Thatcher, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 12 | Psychology, General | — | 42% | — | — |
| 25 | University of Phoenix - Arizona Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Behavioral Sciences | $38,087 | 21% | $15,478 | — |
All 27 schools in Arizona
Every school in Arizona with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion | Scottsdale | Public | 2,102 | 7 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion | Tempe | Public | 1,660 | 10 |
| The University of Arizona Global Campus | Chandler | Public | 967 | 5 |
| University of Arizona | Tucson | Public | 847 | 7 |
| Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff | Public | 571 | 5 |
| American InterContinental University System | Chandler | Private for-profit | 266 | 1 |
| Grand Canyon University | Phoenix | Private not-for-profit | 257 | 1 |
| South Mountain Community College | Phoenix | Public | 186 | 3 |
| Glendale Community College | Glendale | Public | 145 | 5 |
| Arizona Western College | Yuma | Public | 86 | 2 |
| Mesa Community College | Mesa | Public | 70 | 4 |
| Estrella Mountain Community College | Avondale | Public | 62 | 4 |
| Chandler - Gilbert Community College | Chandler | Public | 60 | 4 |
| Dine College | Tsaile | Public | 51 | 2 |
| Paradise Valley Community College | Phoenix | Public | 44 | 4 |
What social science research assistants earn in Arizona
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $61,990. Arizona pays below the national figure.
Concentrated here: Arizona employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Arizona
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Social Science Research Assistants page.
How to become a Social Science Research Assistant
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Arizona
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 19 majors mapped to Social Science Research Assistants19 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 03.0204Environmental/Natural Resource Economics
- 30.1701Behavioral Sciences
- 30.4601History and Political Science
- 42.0101Psychology, General
- 42.2708Psychometrics and Quantitative Psychology
- 44.0501Public Policy Analysis, General
- 44.0502Education Policy Analysis
- 44.0503Health Policy Analysis
- 44.0504International Policy Analysis
- 45.0101Social Sciences, General
- 45.0103Survey Research/Methodology
- 45.0601Economics, General
- 45.0602Applied Economics
- 45.0603Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
- 45.0604Development Economics and International Development
- 45.1001Political Science and Government, General
- 45.1004Political Economy
- 45.1101Sociology, General
- 45.1102Applied/Public Sociology
Common questions
Answers for people weighing social science research assistants programs in Arizona.
What degree do you need to become a Social Science Research Assistant?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Psychology, General, which awarded 5,087 degrees in Arizona in 2024-25, 67.1% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Social Science Research Assistant?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 13 programs to this occupation. The largest are Psychology, Political Science and Government, Behavioral Sciences, Sociology, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 7,577 people a year in Arizona.
How much do social science research assistants earn in Arizona?+
The median is $61,680 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 0.5% below the U.S. median of $61,990. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for social science research assistants growing?+
BLS projects a +4.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 5,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Arizona?+
27 institutions in Arizona reported graduates from at least one of the 13 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do social science research assistants work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Research Assistant, Research Associate, Social Research Assistant, Graduate Research Assistant among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-4061.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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