Best Social Science Research Assistant programs in Pennsylvania, ranked by enrollment
Assist social scientists in laboratory, survey, and other social science research.
120 schools in Pennsylvania run programs that feed this job, graduating 9,097 people a year. The job pays a median of $54,610 in Pennsylvania across about 860 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
16 programs in Pennsylvania that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Pennsylvania (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 Pennsylvania page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 42.0101In Pennsylvania → | 4,835 | 53.1% | 111 | $31,426 | $25,250 |
| 2 | CIP 45.1001In Pennsylvania → | 1,551 | 17.0% | 76 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 3 | CIP 45.0603In Pennsylvania → | 1,278 | 14.0% | 19 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 4 | CIP 45.1101In Pennsylvania → | 498 | 5.5% | 50 | $34,099 | $25,000 |
| 5 | CIP 45.0601In Pennsylvania → | 425 | 4.7% | 40 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 6 | Behavioral Sciencesmain feeder CIP 30.1701In Pennsylvania → | 185 | 2.0% | 8 | $36,206 | $29,240 |
| 7 | Social Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 45.0101In Pennsylvania → | 102 | 1.1% | 13 | $35,590 | $24,095 |
| 8 | CIP 44.0501In Pennsylvania → | 93 | 1.0% | 16 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 9 | CIP 44.0503In Pennsylvania → | 45 | 0.5% | 4 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 10 | CIP 45.0602In Pennsylvania → | 30 | 0.3% | 1 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 11 | CIP 45.0604In Pennsylvania → | 26 | 0.3% | 3 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 12 | CIP 45.1004In Pennsylvania → | 12 | 0.1% | 3 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 13 | CIP 44.0502In Pennsylvania → | 9 | 0.1% | 1 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 14 | CIP 45.1102In Pennsylvania → | 5 | 0.1% | 1 | $34,099 | $25,000 |
| 15 | CIP 30.4601In Pennsylvania → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | — | — |
| 16 | CIP 44.0504In Pennsylvania → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
Top 25 schools in Pennsylvania
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 59 of the 120 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,097 | Psychology, General | $32,408 | 86% | — | 61% |
| 2 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA Public · 7 feeder programs | 584 | Psychology, General | $30,054 | 75% | — | 80% |
| 3 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 7 feeder programs | 453 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | $89,097 | 97% | $22,055 | 5% |
| 4 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA Public · 8 feeder programs | 379 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | $50,529 | 85% | — | 58% |
| 5 | Villanova University Villanova, PA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 372 | Psychology, General | $35,462 | 92% | $33,774 | 27% |
| 6 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA Public · 4 feeder programs | 367 | Psychology, General | — | 71% | — | 78% |
| 7 | Pennsylvania State University - World Campus University Park, PA Public · 4 feeder programs | 293 | Psychology, General | $32,408 | 34% | — | 91% |
| 8 | Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 245 | Economics, General | $70,946 | 86% | $30,675 | 29% |
| 9 | Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 168 | Psychology, General | $40,942 | 88% | $26,912 | 26% |
| 10 | Lafayette College Easton, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 167 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | $68,164 | 88% | $20,396 | 31% |
| 11 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA Public · 4 feeder programs | 157 | Psychology, General | $29,535 | 54% | — | 93% |
| 12 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA Public · 3 feeder programs | 145 | Psychology, General | $30,558 | 54% | — | 91% |
| 13 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA Public · 4 feeder programs | 142 | Psychology, General | $33,168 | 58% | — | 86% |
| 14 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana, PA Public · 5 feeder programs | 132 | Psychology, General | $32,694 | 56% | — | 91% |
| 15 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 132 | Psychology, General | — | 79% | $34,418 | 89% |
| 16 | Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 120 | Psychology, General | $32,291 | 77% | $32,060 | 84% |
| 17 | Dickinson College Carlisle, PA Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 117 | Political Science and Government, General | $37,507 | 80% | $22,831 | 42% |
| 18 | Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 113 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | $62,925 | 83% | $24,453 | 39% |
| 19 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA Public · 3 feeder programs | 110 | Psychology, General | $32,780 | 66% | — | 71% |
| 20 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA Public · 4 feeder programs | 97 | Psychology, General | $33,680 | 56% | — | 87% |
| 21 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 95 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | $86,284 | 94% | $23,803 | 12% |
| 22 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA Public · 4 feeder programs | 93 | Psychology, General | $28,982 | 43% | — | 92% |
| 23 | Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown, PA Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 92 | Behavioral Sciences | — | 76% | $22,907 | 78% |
| 24 | Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 87 | Behavioral Sciences | $38,391 | 84% | $27,178 | 28% |
| 25 | Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 86 | Psychology, General | — | 82% | $19,073 | 29% |
All 120 schools in Pennsylvania
Every school in Pennsylvania 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus | University Park | Public | 1,097 | 6 |
| Temple University | Philadelphia | Public | 584 | 7 |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 453 | 7 |
| University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh | Public | 379 | 8 |
| Villanova University | Villanova | Private not-for-profit | 372 | 4 |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | West Chester | Public | 367 | 4 |
| Pennsylvania State University - World Campus | University Park | Public | 293 | 4 |
| Bucknell University | Lewisburg | Private not-for-profit | 245 | 5 |
| Lehigh University | Bethlehem | Private not-for-profit | 168 | 5 |
| Lafayette College | Easton | Private not-for-profit | 167 | 2 |
| Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg | Public | 157 | 4 |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | Kutztown | Public | 145 | 3 |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania | Millersville | Public | 142 | 4 |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Indiana | Public | 132 | 5 |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Philadelphia | Private not-for-profit | 132 | 6 |
What social science research assistants earn in Pennsylvania
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $61,990. Pennsylvania pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania
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 Pennsylvania.
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 4,835 degrees in Pennsylvania in 2024-25, 53.1% 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 16 programs to this occupation. The largest are Psychology, Economics, Political Science and Government, Sociology, plus 4 more. Together they graduate about 9,097 people a year in Pennsylvania.
How much do social science research assistants earn in Pennsylvania?+
The median is $54,610 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 11.9% 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 Pennsylvania?+
120 institutions in Pennsylvania reported graduates from at least one of the 16 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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