undergradly.
Major · Social Sciences

The broad-survey degree that most students use as a transfer platform

Social Sciences, General is an undifferentiated program covering the methods and content of the social science disciplines without specializing in any one. It is offered at 463 colleges and awarded 14,846 completions annually — the large majority at the associate's level, primarily at community colleges in California.

Schools offering
463
Annual completions
14,846
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$51k

About this major

Social Sciences, General (CIP 45.0101) is what the classification system calls an undifferentiated program — a curriculum designed to survey the social science disciplines collectively rather than develop depth in any one. History, sociology, political science, economics, anthropology, and psychology all appear in the coursework, typically organized around shared methods: qualitative and quantitative research approaches, interpretation of data, and analysis of human behavior and social institutions. There is no standard specialization track, no signature capstone, and no industry-recognized professional skill set built into the credential itself. That is not a criticism; it is the accurate description of what this program offers.

The enrollment pattern makes the primary use case visible. Of the 14,846 completions recorded annually across 463 colleges, the ten highest-completing institutions are dominated by California community colleges: East Los Angeles College (952 completions), Sierra College (534), College of the Canyons (527), American River College (400), Santa Rosa Junior College (366), Antelope Valley College (365), Mt. San Antonio College (354), and Ohlone College (347). Every one of those eight awards only associate's degrees in this major. The two four-year schools in the top ten — Vanderbilt and Florida State University — account for 304 and 292 completions respectively. The distribution shows what this degree actually does in practice: it functions primarily as a two-year platform for students planning to transfer into a more focused program at a four-year institution.

The earnings data is consistent with that picture. Five-year median earnings across degree levels run about $50,571. Bachelor's completers report about $53,150 at that point; associate's completers report about $44,530. The $8,600 gap is narrow compared to what you see in career-specific social science majors — Economics bachelor's graduates, for instance, show five-year medians considerably higher, reflecting how specialization signals value to employers in a way that an undifferentiated credential does not. The five BLS-mapped careers include two with negative projected growth rates and one that requires a doctoral degree. The honest near-term destinations — secondary school teacher at $64,580 and social science research assistant at $58,040 — are accessible but not high-ceiling exits from this credential alone.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Managers, all other $137k +4.5% Bachelor's degree
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $65k -1.6% Bachelor's degree
Social scientists and related workers, all other $100k -1.7% Bachelor's degree
Social science research assistants $58k +4.4% Bachelor's degree
Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other $75k +1.7% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$51k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$45k

Bachelor's

$53k

Who this major is for

You may fit well here if your plan is to use the associate's degree as a transfer vehicle: complete general education requirements affordably at a community college, then declare a specific major — Political Science, Economics, Sociology, or another focused discipline — at a four-year institution. That path is well-supported, particularly in California, where the Associate Degree for Transfer framework builds articulation agreements directly around programs like this one. The low cost of the CC years, combined with a competitive four-year credential at the end, makes the math work in a way that enrolling directly in a four-year Social Sciences, General program typically does not.

You may also fit here if you are genuinely undecided about which social science discipline you want to pursue and need structured exploration time before committing. Two years of breadth with a credential attached is a reasonable outcome if it leads to a clear decision. The credential itself is not the asset — the clarity it helps you develop is.

Think twice if you are looking for this degree to function as a terminal career credential. The $8,600 bachelor's premium over the associate's is small enough that completing a full four-year Social Sciences, General degree without transferring into a specialization produces a weaker ROI than a focused major would. Employers and graduate programs recognize disciplinary identity — Economics, Political Science, Sociology — in ways they do not recognize an undifferentiated social sciences credential. If you know you want to work in research, policy, social services, or teaching, the related majors offer more direct paths: Political Science (36,654 annual completions), Sociology (26,513), Economics (18,920), or History (22,597) each carry identifiable career signals that this credential does not.

Think twice also if you are not planning to transfer and the four-year version feels like the plan. A bachelor's in Social Sciences, General from a four-year institution is not a well-differentiated credential. The same time and tuition invested in a focused major — even within the same social sciences family — positions you more legibly for graduate study, competitive employment, or professional certification programs.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Social Sciences, General

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
East Los Angeles College Monterey Park, CA 952 0 952
Sierra College Rocklin, CA 534 0 534
College of the Canyons Santa Clarita, CA 527 0 527
American River College Sacramento, CA 400 0 400
Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, CA 366 0 366
Antelope Valley Community College District Lancaster, CA 365 0 365
Mt San Antonio College Walnut, CA 354 0 354
Ohlone College Fremont, CA 347 0 347
Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN 0 304 304
Florida State University Tallahassee, FL 0 292 292
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Psychology, General

133,179 completions/yr

Biology/Biological Sciences, General

83,027 completions/yr

Political Science and Government, General

36,654 completions/yr

Sociology, General

26,513 completions/yr

History, General

22,597 completions/yr

Economics, General

18,920 completions/yr

Econometrics and Quantitative Economics

15,101 completions/yr

Animal Sciences, General

6,799 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does a Social Sciences, General degree actually cover?
The CIP definition describes it as 'an undifferentiated program of study in the social sciences' — meaning it draws from history, sociology, political science, economics, psychology, and anthropology without requiring depth in any single field. You'll typically take a survey of research methods common across the disciplines, introductory coursework in several areas, and electives that let you sample broadly. There is no standard capstone or professional skill set built into the credential the way there is in a focused major. The breadth is by design, but it does mean graduating with Social Sciences, General does not signal expertise in any particular discipline to employers or graduate programs.
Is this mostly a transfer degree, or can I use it as a terminal credential?
The data tells the story here. Eight of the ten highest-completing institutions for this major are California community colleges — East Los Angeles College (952 completions), Sierra College (534), College of the Canyons (527), American River College (400), Santa Rosa Junior College (366), Antelope Valley College (365), Mt. San Antonio College (354), and Ohlone College (347). All eight award only associate's degrees in this major. The two four-year schools in the top ten are Vanderbilt (304 bachelor's completions) and Florida State University (292). That distribution reflects how the credential is actually used: primarily as an AA that satisfies general education requirements before transferring into a focused four-year program. As a terminal credential, the earnings data is honest about the ceiling.
What do the earnings look like for Social Sciences, General graduates?
Five-year median earnings across degree levels run about $50,571. The bachelor's-over-associate's premium is modest: bachelor's completers report about $53,150 at five years versus $44,530 for associate's completers — a gap of roughly $8,600. For comparison, focused social science majors like Economics or Political Science, or career-adjacent majors like Computer Science, show premiums of $20,000 to $40,000 between degree levels and much higher ceilings. The narrow gap here reflects that this credential does not function as a distinct career signal for employers; both degree levels tend to land in similar entry-level administrative, services, or support roles.
What jobs do Social Sciences, General graduates actually get?
The five careers the BLS maps to this CIP are: secondary school teachers ($64,580 median, -1.6% growth), social scientists and related workers, all other ($100,340 median, -1.7% growth), social science research assistants ($58,040 median, 4.4% growth), social sciences postsecondary teachers ($75,040 median, requiring a doctoral degree), and managers, all other ($136,550 median). Two of those five show negative projected growth. The postsecondary teacher path requires a doctorate. The 'managers, all other' category is a BLS catch-all that does not reflect a realistic direct path from this credential. The two honest near-term destinations are secondary school teacher and social science research assistant — both require additional preparation, and both are below the median for four-year degrees overall.
Should I pursue Social Sciences, General or a more focused social science major?
If you have a career target in mind, a focused major gives you a more recognizable credential. Political Science and Government (36,654 completions per year) targets policy, law school, and government roles. Sociology (26,513 completions) leads toward social services, research, and human resources paths. Economics (18,920 completions) or Econometrics (15,101 completions) carry significantly stronger earnings signals — Economics in particular opens banking, consulting, and policy analyst roles that are harder to reach from an undifferentiated social sciences degree. History (22,597 completions) gives you more of the same breadth but with a recognized disciplinary identity useful for graduate school or law. Social Sciences, General is the right choice if your plan is to transfer and declare a major later, or if you genuinely need two years of broad exploration before committing.
If I start at a community college with this major, what does the transfer path look like?
California community colleges dominate this major because the state's articulation system — particularly the ASSIST transfer pathways and the Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) framework — makes a Social Sciences AA a well-defined bridge to CSU and UC campuses. An ADT in Social Sciences guarantees admission to a CSU campus with junior standing and requires only two years of additional coursework to complete a focused bachelor's degree. The key is declaring a specific major upon transfer: students who transfer with a general social sciences AA and then declare Political Science, Sociology, or Economics at the four-year institution get the benefit of the low-cost CC foundation plus the signal of a focused four-year credential. Students who complete a full bachelor's in Social Sciences, General without specializing lose that second benefit.