by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2025, College Factual analyzed 26 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Social Sciences Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,043 master's degrees in social sciences during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of social sciences for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
Average early-career salary of those graduating with their master's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your master's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for social sciences students working on their master's degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Social Sciences Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for social sciences students seeking a a master's degree.
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in social sciences needs to look into Stanford University. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Stanford University
University of California - Berkeley is a good option for individuals interested in a master's degree in social sciences. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from University of California - Berkeley
University of California - Los Angeles is a good decision for individuals interested in a master's degree in social sciences. UCLA is a very large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in social sciences from University of California - Los Angeles
University of California - Irvine is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in social sciences. Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from University of California - Irvine
Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from University of Southern California
UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a master’s in social sciences from University of California - Santa Barbara
UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Davis.More information about a master’s in social sciences from University of California - Davis
Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from University of California - San Diego
Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from California State University - Long Beach
Located in the small city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from University of California - Santa Cruz
Explore the best social sciences schools for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| California | 33 | 1,900 |
| Washington | 31 | 83 |
| Oregon | 29 | 100 |
| Hawaii | 27 | 47 |
| Nevada | 27 | 46 |
| Alaska | 21 | 4 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Economics | 662 |
| International Relations & National Security | 471 |
| Geography & Cartography | 183 |
| Sociology | 178 |
| Political Science & Government | 160 |
| Anthropology | 142 |
| Urban Studies | 48 |
| General Social Sciences | 41 |
| Demography & Population Studies | 29 |
| Other Social Sciences | 20 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Communication & Journalism | 1,624 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 1,508 |
| English Language & Literature | 1,205 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 452 |
| History | 314 |
| Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies | 295 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 240 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 227 |
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 115 |
