by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Social Entrepreneurship covers A Program That Focuses On Blending Entrepreneurial Ideas And Management Skills For Issue Advocacy And Social Change. Includes Instruction In Philanthropy, Business Modeling, Design, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Investing, Resource Management, Project Management, Prototype Development, And Marketing. Continue reading for the important information every social entrepreneurship major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering social entrepreneurship programs.
Nationwide, social entrepreneurship is a widely-pursued major, with 77 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Social Entrepreneurship Schools ranking analyzes these 10 schools to determine the best overall colleges for social entrepreneurship students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of social entrepreneurship programs later in this article.
Studies in Social Entrepreneurship build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations social entrepreneurship graduates commonly enter.
Skills built by a social entrepreneurship program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a social entrepreneurship major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several social entrepreneurship degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 68 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 9 |
People currently working in careers related to social entrepreneurship tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 43.9% |
| Master’s degree | 28.8% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 7.0% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 6.6% |
| Some college courses | 3.7% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 3.0% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 2.6% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.6% |
| Doctoral degree | 1.3% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.8% |
| Post-doctoral training | 0.5% |
| First professional degree | 0.1% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in social entrepreneurship careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying social entrepreneurship prepares you for many career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to social entrepreneurship.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to social entrepreneurship.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other | 468,025 | 6.2% |
| Chief Sustainability Officers | 440,982 | 0.5% |
| Chief Executives | 374,558 | -2.8% |
| Compliance Managers | 310,203 | 13.0% |
| Loss Prevention Managers | 265,210 | 2.2% |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | 206,415 | 9.9% |
| General and Operations Managers | 163,335 | -2.2% |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | 128,884 | 5.2% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of social entrepreneurship graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $51,538 |
| 4 years | $61,024 |
| 5 years | $67,263 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for social entrepreneurship graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers social entrepreneurship grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Wind Energy Development Managers | $169,952 |
| Loss Prevention Managers | $165,723 |
| General and Operations Managers | $149,694 |
| Chief Executives | $138,534 |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | $122,567 |
| Compliance Managers | $117,178 |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | $99,321 |
| Chief Sustainability Officers | $96,628 |
With 10 different social entrepreneurship programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased social entrepreneurship school rankings to help you.
Students interested in social entrepreneurship, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies | 10,661 |
| Small Business Administration/Management | 3,118 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations, Other | 437 |
| Franchising and Franchise Operations | 13 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
