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Social Studies Education

A program that prepares individuals to teach general social studies programs at various educational levels.

Types of Degrees Social Studies Education Majors Are Earning

Those studying Social Studies Education have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	8
Bachelor’s Degree	1,423
Master’s Degree	529
Doctor’s Degree	3

What Social Studies Education Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Social Studies Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a Social Studies Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Instructing — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.6 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.2 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

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

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—
Moodle	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Video editing software	Video creation and editing software	—
Google Classroom	Project management software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Flipgrid	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Social Studies Education graduates include:

• Physical Fitness Teacher
• World History Teacher
• Science Teacher
• Music Educator
• Classroom Teacher
• English Teacher
• Art Instructor
• Bilingual Teacher
• PE Instructor (Physical Education Instructor)
• Educator
• ESL Teacher (English as a Second Language Teacher)
• Teacher
• Math Teacher (Mathematics Teacher)
• Health and PE Teacher (Health and Physical Education Teacher)
• Art Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	71.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	15.3%
Less than a high school diploma	5.3%
Post-master’s certificate	3.5%
Master’s degree	2.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.8%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Social Studies Education?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 40.7% women and 59.3% men among Social Studies Education graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	798	40.7%
Men	1,165	59.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,549	78.9%
Asian	57	2.9%
Hispanic or Latino	157	8.0%
Black or African American	54	2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.1%
Two or More Races	70	3.6%
Race Unknown	38	1.9%
International Students	32	1.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Social Studies Education Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Social Studies 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 Studies Education Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Social Studies 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	2	8
Master’s	8	6

^{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 Studies Education Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Social Studies 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
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels	8,732
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching	6,964
Reading Teacher Education	5,986
Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor	5,071
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
Art Teacher Education	1,860
Health Teacher Education	1,472

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.