New Jersey · Social Sciences

Best colleges for Social Sciences in New Jersey

Ranked by graduate earnings

Brookdale Community College, Ramapo College of New Jersey and Montclair State University award the most Social Sciences degrees and certificates in New Jersey: 288, 80 and 26 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 8 New Jersey colleges offer Social Sciences and award 571 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Social Sciences program, also known as Social Sciences, General, focuses on the study of human behavior in its social and cultural contexts. This program is designed for students interested in exploring the complexities of society,…

Institutions
8
offering CIP 45.01
States & territories
53
with a program page
Degrees / yr
571
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$26,231
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
4
College Scorecard
Median net price
$34,827
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
53%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Social Science Research Assistants
$69,260
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 4 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Ramapo College of New Jersey
Mahwah Public · Bachelor's degree
$43,0478070%—$25,500
2Brookdale Community College
Lincroft Public · Associate degree
$26,23128830%—$9,500
3Thomas Edison State University
Trenton Public · Bachelor's degree Degree completion
$44,77368——$21,384
4Essex County College
Newark Public · Associate degree
$22,0538120%—$5,851

Colleges awarding the most Social Sciences degrees in New Jersey

Top 6 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Brookdale Community College
Lincroft Public
288$26,231
2Ramapo College of New Jersey
Mahwah Public
80$43,047
3Montclair State University
Montclair Public
26Not reported
4Saint Peter's University
Jersey City Private not-for-profit
21Not reported
5Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken Private not-for-profit
5Not reported
6Salem Community College
Carneys Point Public
2Not reported
Show the other 2 New Jersey colleges offering Social Sciences
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Essex County CollegeNewarkPublic81
Thomas Edison State University (Degree completion)TrentonPublic68

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Social Science Research Assistants (SOC 19-4061).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+4.4%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~5,200
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$58,040
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningWritingCritical ThinkingSpeakingScience

What Social Science Research Assistants earn in New Jersey

Jobs in New Jersey
370
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$69,260
median $62,760
Best-paying metro
$65,440
Trenton-Princeton, NJ

Related careers

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
$82,120 avg · 40,300 jobs
Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
$81,690 avg · 23,650 jobs
Statisticians
$126,370 avg · 880 jobs
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary
$86,430 avg · 550 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Social Sciences programs in New Jersey.

Which New Jersey colleges award the most Social Sciences degrees?+

Brookdale Community College (288 graduates a year), Ramapo College of New Jersey (80 graduates a year) and Montclair State University (26 graduates a year) award the most Social Sciences degrees and certificates in New Jersey, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 8 New Jersey colleges offer Social Sciences.

Which Social Sciences program in New Jersey has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Ramapo College of New Jersey tops the list at $43,047. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Social Science Research Assistants earn in New Jersey?+

The average annual wage for Social Science Research Assistants in New Jersey is $69,260 (median $62,760), across about 370 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Social Sciences program?+

The Social Sciences program, also known as Social Sciences, General, focuses on the study of human behavior in its social and cultural contexts. This program is designed for students interested in exploring the complexities of society,…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop reading comprehension, active listening, writing, critical thinking, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Social Science Research Assistants?+

The national job outlook is about +4.4% growth with around 5,200 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

Explore every U.S. college in one conversation

Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card