Best Social Science Research Assistant programs in Virginia, ranked by enrollment
Assist social scientists in laboratory, survey, and other social science research.
56 schools in Virginia run programs that feed this job, graduating 10,120 people a year. The job pays a median of $53,260 in Virginia across about 700 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Virginia that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
14 programs in Virginia that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Virginia (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 Virginia page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 42.0101In Virginia → | 5,451 | 53.9% | 40 | $31,426 | $25,250 |
| 2 | CIP 45.1001In Virginia → | 1,284 | 12.7% | 34 | $35,631 | $23,538 |
| 3 | Social Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 45.0101In Virginia → | 1,054 | 10.4% | 16 | $35,590 | $24,095 |
| 4 | CIP 45.0603In Virginia → | 775 | 7.7% | 9 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 5 | CIP 45.1101In Virginia → | 653 | 6.5% | 27 | $34,099 | $25,000 |
| 6 | CIP 44.0501In Virginia → | 561 | 5.5% | 6 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 7 | CIP 45.0601In Virginia → | 289 | 2.9% | 18 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 8 | CIP 45.0602In Virginia → | 22 | 0.2% | 1 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 9 | Behavioral Sciencesmain feeder CIP 30.1701In Virginia → | 15 | 0.1% | 1 | $36,206 | $29,240 |
| 10 | CIP 44.0503In Virginia → | 6 | 0.1% | 2 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
| 11 | CIP 45.0604In Virginia → | 6 | 0.1% | 2 | $51,725 | $22,907 |
| 12 | CIP 30.4601In Virginia → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | — | — |
| 13 | CIP 42.2708In Virginia → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $34,454 | $21,878 |
| 14 | CIP 44.0502In Virginia → | 1 | 0.0% | 1 | $44,740 | $22,000 |
Top 25 schools in Virginia
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 34 of the 56 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 2,071 | Psychology, General | $32,679 | 65% | $28,911 | 99% |
| 2 | University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA Public · 5 feeder programs | 919 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | $74,958 | 96% | — | 17% |
| 3 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA Public · 8 feeder programs | 789 | Psychology, General | $33,733 | 86% | — | 55% |
| 4 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA Public · 7 feeder programs | 770 | Psychology, General | $36,326 | 68% | — | 87% |
| 5 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Public · 4 feeder programs | 723 | Psychology, General | $29,462 | 63% | — | 93% |
| 6 | James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA Public · 7 feeder programs | 574 | Psychology, General | $31,734 | 80% | — | 72% |
| 7 | William & Mary Williamsburg, VA Public · 6 feeder programs | 514 | Psychology, General | $36,818 | 89% | — | 34% |
| 8 | Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 490 | Social Sciences, General | $23,637 | 33% | — | — |
| 9 | Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA Public · 4 feeder programs | 422 | Psychology, General | $34,303 | 46% | — | 90% |
| 10 | J Sargeant Reynolds Community College Richmond, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 326 | Social Sciences, General | $18,164 | 32% | — | — |
| 11 | Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA Public · 4 feeder programs | 247 | Psychology, General | $35,028 | 72% | — | 86% |
| 12 | Regent University Virginia Beach, VA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 211 | Psychology, General | $30,307 | 57% | $18,677 | 38% |
| 13 | Norfolk State University Norfolk, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 168 | Psychology, General | — | 38% | — | 88% |
| 14 | Radford University Radford, VA Public · 5 feeder programs | 159 | Psychology, General | $32,751 | 49% | — | 90% |
| 15 | Tidewater Community College Norfolk, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 151 | Social Sciences, General | $29,425 | 32% | — | — |
| 16 | Virginia Peninsula Community College Hampton, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 146 | Social Sciences, General | $25,478 | 34% | — | — |
| 17 | University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA Public · 4 feeder programs | 125 | Psychology, General | $28,887 | 66% | — | 80% |
| 18 | Virginia State University Petersburg, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 97 | Psychology, General | $28,513 | 39% | — | 89% |
| 19 | Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 86 | Economics, General | $46,046 | 76% | — | 71% |
| 20 | Hampton University Hampton, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 83 | Psychology, General | $29,154 | 57% | $34,268 | 62% |
| 21 | University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 79 | Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | $61,027 | 85% | $24,049 | 22% |
| 22 | Longwood University Farmville, VA Public · 4 feeder programs | 69 | Psychology, General | $22,656 | 61% | — | 90% |
| 23 | Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 65 | Economics, General | $71,737 | 94% | $11,983 | 14% |
| 24 | Roanoke College Salem, VA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 60 | Psychology, General | $32,550 | 67% | $24,604 | 83% |
| 25 | Virginia Western Community College Roanoke, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 56 | Social Sciences, General | $19,220 | 40% | — | — |
All 56 schools in Virginia
Every school in Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty University | Lynchburg | Private not-for-profit | 2,071 | 4 |
| University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville | Public | 919 | 5 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg | Public | 789 | 8 |
| George Mason University | Fairfax | Public | 770 | 7 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond | Public | 723 | 4 |
| James Madison University | Harrisonburg | Public | 574 | 7 |
| William & Mary | Williamsburg | Public | 514 | 6 |
| Northern Virginia Community College | Annandale | Public | 490 | 2 |
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk | Public | 422 | 4 |
| J Sargeant Reynolds Community College | Richmond | Public | 326 | 1 |
| Christopher Newport University | Newport News | Public | 247 | 4 |
| Regent University | Virginia Beach | Private not-for-profit | 211 | 4 |
| Norfolk State University | Norfolk | Public | 168 | 3 |
| Radford University | Radford | Public | 159 | 5 |
| Tidewater Community College | Norfolk | Public | 151 | 1 |
What social science research assistants earn in Virginia
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $61,990. Virginia pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Virginia
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 Virginia
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 Virginia.
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 5,451 degrees in Virginia in 2024-25, 53.9% 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 14 programs to this occupation. The largest are Psychology, Political Science and Government, Economics, Social Sciences, plus 5 more. Together they graduate about 10,120 people a year in Virginia.
How much do social science research assistants earn in Virginia?+
The median is $53,260 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 14.1% 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 Virginia?+
56 institutions in Virginia reported graduates from at least one of the 14 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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