WhatGradsMake
Bachelor's+33% vs national median764 grads tracked

Social Sciences at Carleton College

Ranked 14th of 387 bachelor's programs in Social Sciences by 5-year earnings.

Median · 1 year out
$59,790
middle 50%: $38,550 – $82,573
Median · 5 years out
$79,570
middle 50%: $57,101 – $116,034
Median · 10 years out
$117,234
middle 50%: $76,879 – $186,305

Salary trajectory

Median earnings vs the national median for Social Sciences (bachelor's) graduates.

This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates

Graduates of Carleton College's bachelor's program in Social Sciences earn a median $59,790 one year after graduating, rising to $117,234 by year ten. Five years out, earnings run 33% above the national median of $59,812 for this field, ranking 14th of 387 reporting programs.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.

Will the degree pay for itself?

Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.

Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).

Paid off in
5.1 yrs
≈ $5,645 total interest

Same major at other universities

Penn State World Campus
$82,447 · 5 yrs out
University of Michigan
$81,813 · 5 yrs out
Earlham College
$80,540 · 5 yrs out
Virginia Military Institute
$80,444 · 5 yrs out
Bryant University
$80,101 · 5 yrs out
University of New Haven
$79,787 · 5 yrs out
University of Richmond
$79,484 · 5 yrs out
Providence College
$78,332 · 5 yrs out
Binghamton University
$77,021 · 5 yrs out
Quinnipiac University
$76,845 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas at Austin
$76,832 · 5 yrs out
College of William & Mary
$76,450 · 5 yrs out

Other majors at Carleton College

Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Bachelor's)
$136,177 · 5 yrs out
Computer Science (Bachelor's)
$136,177 · 5 yrs out
Statistics (Bachelor's)
$111,686 · 5 yrs out
Economics (Bachelor's)
$102,242 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Bachelor's)
$97,751 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics (Bachelor's)
$93,589 · 5 yrs out
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's)
$76,770 · 5 yrs out
Philosophy (Bachelor's)
$74,301 · 5 yrs out
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's)
$71,298 · 5 yrs out
Philosophy and Religious Studies (Bachelor's)
$70,298 · 5 yrs out
Physics (Bachelor's)
$68,521 · 5 yrs out
Chemistry (Bachelor's)
$64,523 · 5 yrs out

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