by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 45 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Social Sciences Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 6,974 master's degrees in social sciences during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The social sciences master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality social sciences program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
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.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full 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 picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Social Sciences Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for social sciences students seeking a a master's degree.
Johns Hopkins University is a wonderful option for students interested in a master's degree in social sciences. Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Johns Hopkins University
It's difficult to beat Cornell University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in social sciences. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Cornell University
It's difficult to beat Georgetown University if you want to pursue a master's degree in social sciences. Located in the large city of Washington, Georgetown is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Georgetown University
University of Pennsylvania is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing a master's degree in social sciences. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn 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 Pennsylvania
Located in the city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Columbia University in the City of New York
GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington.More information about a master’s in social sciences from George Washington University
The American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington.More information about a master’s in social sciences from American University
Princeton is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Princeton.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Princeton University
Located in the large suburb of Villanova, Villanova is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from Villanova University
Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in social sciences from New York University
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Social Sciences Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | University of Delaware | Newark, DE |
| 12 | University of Maryland - College Park | College Park, MD |
| 13 | Saint Joseph’s University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 14 | Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY |
| 15 | Fordham University | Bronx, NY |
Explore the best social sciences colleges for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| New York | 35 | 1,883 |
| Pennsylvania | 34 | 576 |
| New Jersey | 32 | 239 |
| Maryland | 32 | 1,133 |
| District of Columbia | 32 | 1,512 |
| Delaware | 24 | 73 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| International Relations & National Security | 2,818 |
| Economics | 1,572 |
| Political Science & Government | 740 |
| General Social Sciences | 593 |
| Sociology | 247 |
| Geography & Cartography | 243 |
| Anthropology | 241 |
| Other Social Sciences | 165 |
| Urban Studies | 141 |
| Archeology | 17 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Communication & Journalism | 3,412 |
| English Language & Literature | 1,490 |
| Theology & Religious Vocations | 1,368 |
| Philosophy & Religious Studies | 1,070 |
| History | 710 |
| Foreign Languages & Linguistics | 690 |
| Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies | 455 |
| Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities | 433 |
| Family, Consumer & Human Sciences | 281 |
