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Social sciences research scientist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a social sciences research scientist. Social sciences research scientists usually study biology, sociology, or psychology. 65% of social sciences research scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 71 real social sciences research scientist resumes to see exactly what social sciences research scientist education sections show.
The most common colleges for social sciences research scientists are the University of California, Irvine and the University of California, Irvine.
There are also many online social sciences research scientist courses to help get the education required to be a social sciences research scientist.
What education do you need to become a social sciences research scientist?
What degree do you need to be a social sciences research scientist?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Master's, 21%
- Doctorate, 6%
- Associate, 6%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a social sciences research scientist?
- Biology, 13%
- Sociology, 13%
- Psychology, 11%
- Business, 9%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for social sciences research scientists
| Social sciences research scientist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of California, Irvine | 8.33% |
| Ithaca College | 8.33% |
| Franklin and Marshall College | 8.33% |
| The University of Texas at El Paso | 8.33% |
| Brown University | 4.17% |
Best majors for social sciences research scientists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 13.3% |
| 2 | Sociology | 13.3% |
| 3 | Psychology | 11.1% |
| 4 | Business | 8.9% |
| 5 | Anthropology | 6.7% |
Best colleges for social sciences research scientists
The best colleges for social sciences research scientists are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.
A social sciences research scientist 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 sciences research scientists. 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 sciences research scientists.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
9. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
10. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,382
Enrollment
5,597
20 best online courses for social sciences research scientists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for social sciences research scientists
The most affordable schools for social sciences research scientists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for social sciences research scientists 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 sciences research scientists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for social sciences research scientists
The hardest universities for social sciences research scientists to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Duke University.
Some great schools for social sciences research scientists 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 sciences research scientists 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
7. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
10. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for social sciences research scientists
The easiest schools for social sciences research scientists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, kean university, and wayland baptist university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a social sciences research scientist 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 sciences research scientists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
3. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
10. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
Average social sciences research scientist salary by education level
| Social sciences research scientist education level | Social sciences research scientist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $75,021 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $68,017 |
| Doctorate Degree | $76,535 |
Social sciences research scientist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025