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Social science teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a social science teacher. Social science teachers usually study education, social sciences, or history. 66% of social science teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 865 real social science teacher resumes to see exactly what social science teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for social science teachers are the Florida State University and the Florida State University.
There are also many online social science teacher courses to help get the education required to be a social science teacher.
What education do you need to become a social science teacher?
What degree do you need to be a social science teacher?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- Master's, 25%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a social science teacher?
- Education, 15%
- Social Sciences, 14%
- History, 13%
- Elementary Education, 10%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for social science teachers
| Social science teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Florida State University | 9.62% |
| University of Illinois at Chicago | 7.69% |
| Florida International University | 7.69% |
| National University | 6.41% |
| Florida Atlantic University | 6.41% |
Best majors for social science teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Education | 14.6% |
| 2 | Social Sciences | 13.7% |
| 3 | History | 13.3% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 10.0% |
| 5 | Political Science | 6.8% |
Best colleges for social science teachers
The best colleges for social science teachers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A social science teacher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for social science teachers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become social science teachers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
20 best online courses for social science teachers
Advertising disclosure
1. Social and Economic Networks: Models and Analysis
Learn how to model social and economic networks and their impact on human behavior. How do networks form, why do they exhibit certain patterns, and how does their structure impact diffusion, learning, and other behaviors? We will bring together models and techniques from economics, sociology, math, physics, statistics and computer science to answer these questions. The course begins with some empirical background on social and economic networks, and an overview of concepts used to describe and...
2. Social Science Approaches to the Study of Chinese Society Part 1
This course seeks to turn learners into informed consumers of social science research. It introduces concepts, standards, and principles of social science research to the interested non-expert. Learners who complete the course will be able to assess evidence and critically evaluate claims about important social phenomena. It reviews the origins and development of social science, describes the process of discovery in contemporary social science research, and explains how contemporary social...
3. Learn Social Psychology
Understand How People Think, Feel, and Behave in this Complete Introduction to Social Psychology...
4. US / United States History - Prehistory to Reconstruction
Uncover the political and social roots of the U.S. with this comprehensive guide to Early American History...
5. Computational Social Science Methods
This course gives you an overview of the current opportunities and the omnipresent reach of computational social science. The results are all around us, every day, reaching from the services provided by the world’s most valuable companies, over the hidden influence of governmental agencies, to the power of social and political movements. All of them study human behavior in order to shape it. In short, all of them do social science by computational means. In this course we answer three...
6. Social Psychology
Ever wonder why people do what they do? This course—which includes more than $1,000 of video and reading materials—offers some answers based on the latest research from social psychology. Students taking the course for a Certificate will also receive free membership in Social Psychology Network (SocialPsychology.org). COURSE DESCRIPTION FROM PROFESSOR PLOUS: Each of us is dealt a different hand in life, but we all face similar questions when it comes to human behavior: What leads us to like one...
7. Learn Social Psychology - The Self & Self-Esteem
Understand Psychology for Personal Development, Self-Discovery, Business, Entrepreneurship, and Team-Building...
8. Understand the Mind: 15 Fascinating Psychology Studies
Learn About the Human Mind Through the Research in Social Psychological Science...
9. Computational Social Science
For more information please view the Computational Social Science Trailer\n\nDigital technology has not only revolutionized society, but also the way we can study it. Currently, this is taken advantage of by the most valuable companies in Silicon Valley, the most powerful governmental agencies, and the most influential social movements. What they have in common is that they use computational tools to understand, and ultimately influence human behavior and social dynamics.\n\nAn increasing part...
10. Computational Social Science Capstone Project
CONGRATULATIONS! Not only did you accomplish to finish our intellectual tour de force, but, by now, you also already have all required skills to execute a comprehensive multi-method workflow of computational social science. We will put these skills to work in this final integrative lab, where we are bringing it all together. We scrape data from a social media site (drawing on the skills obtained in the 1st course of this specialization). We then analyze the collected data by visualizing the...
11. Core Subjects Test Review for Social Studies
An All-in-One Resource for Effective Social Studies Test Preparation...
12. The Constitution and American Government
History, Government, and Civics in the United States...
13. Studying Cities: Social Science Methods for Urban Research
Welcome! Are you looking to learn more about how to conduct scientific research, specifically in an urban or local context? Then you have found the right course: Studying Cities: Social Science Methods for Urban Research by the Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS), Erasmus University Rotterdam. During the course you will gain more insight in the different steps of the research cycle, and build a firm foundation for your own future research endeavors. Before any (urban)...
14. Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners
In the U.S., social policy accounts for two-thirds of government spending. Knowing how policies are constructed, what values underlie them, and how they succeed or fail makes everyone more effective at work or in their civic role. This specialization includes an HONORS track in which learners will complete a professional social policy analysis.\n\nTeachers, health care workers, police, and social workers interact with policy daily, but all of us should care about the impact and effectiveness of...
15. Develop Amazing Social Skills & Connect With People
Develop Amazing Social Skills, Social Confidence, Communication Skills, Self Esteem, Charisma, Self confidence...
16. Introduction to Behavioral Economics & Consumer Psychology
Learn how to apply some of the most powerful principles from consumer psychology to increase conversions...
17. The Teacher and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
Social and emotional learning, or SEL, programs have flourished in schools during the last decade. These programs vary widely but most share a concern for five individual, student competencies: self awareness; self-management; social awareness; relationship skills; and finally responsible decision making. It is important for teachers and parents to know about and understand these programs. While lots of SEL programs emphasize K-12 student social and emotional learning, only a very few programs...
18. Quantitative Methods
Discover the principles of solid scientific methods in the behavioral and social sciences. Join us and learn to separate sloppy science from solid research! This course will cover the fundamental principles of science, some history and philosophy of science, research designs, measurement, sampling and ethics. The course is comparable to a university level introductory course on quantitative research methods in the social sciences, but has a strong focus on research integrity. We will use...
19. Social Media Ethics
Just because you can tweet it, doesn't mean you should. Learn to do the right thing on social media...
20. Powerful Social Media Marketing For Beginners
Master Social Media Marketing, Become an Irreplaceable Social Media Manager & Grow Your Successful Social Media Business...
Top 10 most affordable universities for social science teachers
The most affordable schools for social science teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for social science teachers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for social science teachers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
5. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for social science teachers
The hardest universities for social science teachers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for social science teachers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for social science teachers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for social science teachers
The easiest schools for social science teachers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and san francisco state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a social science teacher without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for social science teachers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
6. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
7. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
8. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
9. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
10. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Indiana, PA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,019
Average social science teacher salary by education level
| Social science teacher education level | Social science teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,352 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $49,658 |
| Doctorate Degree | $61,095 |
Social science teacher education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025