Best Social Science Research Assistant programs in Texas, ranked by enrollment
Assist social scientists in laboratory, survey, and other social science research.
101 schools in Texas run programs that feed this job, graduating 17,643 people a year. The job pays a median of $58,070 in Texas across about 1,180 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Texas that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
15 programs in Texas that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Texas (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 Texas page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 42.0101In Texas → | 10,594 | 60.0% | 87 | $31,426 | $25,250 |
| 2 | CIP 45.1001In Texas → | 2,428 | 13.8% | 65 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 3 | CIP 45.0601In Texas → | 1,453 | 8.2% | 24 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 4 | CIP 45.1101In Texas → | 1,382 | 7.8% | 65 | $34,099 | $25,000 |
| 5 | Behavioral Sciencesmain feeder CIP 30.1701In Texas → | 660 | 3.7% | 13 | $36,206 | $29,240 |
| 6 | CIP 45.0603In Texas → | 548 | 3.1% | 12 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 7 | CIP 44.0501In Texas → | 220 | 1.2% | 9 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 8 | Social Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 45.0101In Texas → | 191 | 1.1% | 12 | $35,590 | $24,095 |
| 9 | CIP 45.1102In Texas → | 66 | 0.4% | 4 | $34,099 | $25,000 |
| 10 | CIP 44.0504In Texas → | 55 | 0.3% | 3 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 11 | CIP 45.0602In Texas → | 25 | 0.1% | 3 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 12 | CIP 30.4601In Texas → | 9 | 0.1% | 2 | — | — |
| 13 | CIP 45.0604In Texas → | 8 | 0.0% | 2 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 14 | CIP 42.2708In Texas → | 3 | 0.0% | 1 | $34,454 | $21,878 |
| 15 | CIP 44.0502In Texas → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
Top 25 schools in Texas
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 60 of the 101 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 7 feeder programs | 1,718 | Psychology, General | $33,556 | 89% | — | 27% |
| 2 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 6 feeder programs | 1,559 | Psychology, General | $33,480 | 84% | — | 57% |
| 3 | University of Houston Houston, TX Public · 7 feeder programs | 1,313 | Psychology, General | $32,653 | 65% | — | 74% |
| 4 | University of North Texas Denton, TX Public · 6 feeder programs | 801 | Psychology, General | $30,396 | 61% | — | 72% |
| 5 | Texas State University San Marcos, TX Public · 5 feeder programs | 756 | Psychology, General | $33,936 | 55% | — | 89% |
| 6 | The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX Public · 5 feeder programs | 731 | Psychology, General | $29,099 | 53% | — | 87% |
| 7 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX Public · 5 feeder programs | 624 | Psychology, General | $26,541 | 51% | — | 94% |
| 8 | Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX Public · 8 feeder programs | 605 | Psychology, General | $33,647 | 69% | — | 73% |
| 9 | The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX Public · 8 feeder programs | 499 | Psychology, General | $33,331 | 76% | — | 65% |
| 10 | Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX Private not-for-profit · 8 feeder programs | 485 | Economics, General | $71,630 | 84% | $33,246 | 63% |
| 11 | Baylor University Waco, TX Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 451 | Psychology, General | $27,785 | 80% | $35,682 | 51% |
| 12 | The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX Public · 4 feeder programs | 405 | Psychology, General | $27,627 | 50% | — | 100% |
| 13 | Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX Public · 5 feeder programs | 399 | Psychology, General | $31,353 | 55% | — | 90% |
| 14 | San Jacinto Community College Pasadena, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 369 | Behavioral Sciences | $33,494 | 30% | — | — |
| 15 | University of Houston - Downtown Houston, TX Public · 4 feeder programs | 366 | Psychology, General | $35,808 | 33% | — | 90% |
| 16 | The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX Public · 5 feeder programs | 346 | Psychology, General | $30,210 | 54% | — | 80% |
| 17 | Rice University Houston, TX Private not-for-profit · 6 feeder programs | 272 | Psychology, General | $41,299 | 95% | $13,264 | 8% |
| 18 | Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX Public · 4 feeder programs | 252 | Psychology, General | $32,937 | 48% | — | 90% |
| 19 | Houston City College Houston, TX Public · 2 feeder programs | 234 | Psychology, General | — | 17% | — | — |
| 20 | University of Houston - Clear Lake Houston, TX Public · 3 feeder programs | 215 | Psychology, General | $36,103 | 52% | — | 91% |
| 21 | El Paso Community College El Paso, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 213 | Psychology, General | $20,644 | 24% | — | — |
| 22 | Texas Woman's University Denton, TX Public · 3 feeder programs | 199 | Psychology, General | $31,498 | 49% | — | 96% |
| 23 | Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 196 | Economics, General | $54,462 | 86% | $25,823 | 44% |
| 24 | Austin Community College District Austin, TX Public · 4 feeder programs | 192 | Psychology, General | $29,930 | 20% | — | — |
| 25 | Texas A & M International University Laredo, TX Public · 4 feeder programs | 190 | Psychology, General | $24,871 | 46% | — | 44% |
All 101 schools in Texas
Every school in Texas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The University of Texas at Austin | Austin | Public | 1,718 | 7 |
| Texas A&M University - College Station | College Station | Public | 1,559 | 6 |
| University of Houston | Houston | Public | 1,313 | 7 |
| University of North Texas | Denton | Public | 801 | 6 |
| Texas State University | San Marcos | Public | 756 | 5 |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio | San Antonio | Public | 731 | 5 |
| The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | Edinburg | Public | 624 | 5 |
| Texas Tech University | Lubbock | Public | 605 | 8 |
| The University of Texas at Dallas | Richardson | Public | 499 | 8 |
| Southern Methodist University | Dallas | Private not-for-profit | 485 | 8 |
| Baylor University | Waco | Private not-for-profit | 451 | 5 |
| The University of Texas at El Paso | El Paso | Public | 405 | 4 |
| Sam Houston State University | Huntsville | Public | 399 | 5 |
| San Jacinto Community College | Pasadena | Public | 369 | 2 |
| University of Houston - Downtown | Houston | Public | 366 | 4 |
What social science research assistants earn in Texas
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $61,990. Texas pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Texas
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 Texas
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 Texas.
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 10,594 degrees in Texas in 2024-25, 60.0% 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 15 programs to this occupation. The largest are Psychology, Political Science and Government, Economics, Sociology, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 17,643 people a year in Texas.
How much do social science research assistants earn in Texas?+
The median is $58,070 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 6.3% 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 Texas?+
101 institutions in Texas reported graduates from at least one of the 15 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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