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Social Science Education

A program that prepares individuals to teach specific social science subjects and programs at various educational levels.

Types of Degrees Social Science Education Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Social Science Education have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	2
Bachelor’s Degree	430
Master’s Degree	118

What Social Science Education Majors Need to Know

Programs in Social Science Education build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Social Science Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Social Science Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Social Science Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Social Science Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Social Science Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Working with Computers	4.1 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Social Science Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Padlet	Computer based training software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Geogebra	Analytical or scientific software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Social Science Education graduates include:

• Educator
• Mathematics Education Professor
• Educational Instructor
• Literacy Education Professor
• Educational Administration Teacher
• Visual Education Teacher
• Professor
• Lecturer
• Counselor Education Professor
• Associate Professor
• Education Teacher
• Adult Basic Education Instructor
• Education Instructor
• Education Faculty Member
• Education Adjunct Professor

What Can You Do With a Social Science Education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Social Science Education commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Education Teachers, Postsecondary	2.4%	$98,329	$80,157–$116,500

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Social Science Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	47.3%
Bachelor’s degree	34.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.2%
Master’s degree	6.3%
Less than a high school diploma	2.5%
Post-master’s certificate	1.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	0.8%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Social Science Education?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 48.5% women and 51.5% men among Social Science Education graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	267	48.5%
Men	283	51.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Social Science Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	396	72.0%
Asian	13	2.4%
Hispanic or Latino	67	12.2%
Black or African American	42	7.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.2%
Two or More Races	22	4.0%
Race Unknown	8	1.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Social Science Education Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Social Science Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$49,919
4 years	$50,204
5 years	$56,331

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $56,331 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Social Science Education Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Social Science Education. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	4	5
Master’s	8	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Social Science Education Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Social Science Education graduates earn a median of $50,204 four years after completion — roughly 32% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	39,881
Secondary Education and Teaching	10,594
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels	8,732
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching	6,964
Reading Teacher Education	5,986
Music Teacher Education	4,544
English/Language Arts Teacher Education	3,018
Mathematics Teacher Education	2,993
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching	2,976
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other	2,352
Social Studies Teacher Education	1,963
Art Teacher Education	1,860

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.