The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Social Sciences: earnings, debt & careers

Social Sciences graduates of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley earn a median $59,440 four years after graduating ($47,248 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $20,238. That is $6,920 above the U.S. median for Social Sciences graduates ($52,520 across 85 colleges), and ranks 1st of 3 Texas colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$59,440

U.S. median for this major: $52,520.

College Scorecard field of study; 26 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$47,248

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$20,238

About 34% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,130.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$4,831 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $16,830. College Scorecard.

UTRGV Social Sciences: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

UTRGV graduates$59,440
Texas median (3 colleges)$56,026 (+$3,414)
U.S. median (85 colleges)$52,520 (+$6,920)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Social Sciences nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses UTRGV's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$3,785$17,108under 1 year
$30–48k$3,877$17,524under 1 year
$48–75k$5,665$25,6061.0 years
$75–110k$7,972$36,0331.4 years
$110k+$13,782$62,2952.4 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (29% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Social Sciences graduates 4 years after graduating ($59,440) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $25,924 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Social Sciences at Texas colleges

Every Texas college we cover that reports Social Sciences graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley$59,440$20,238$4,83151%
2University of North Texas$56,026$22,625$15,64961%
3Texas A&M University-San Antonio$47,014$18,457$11,19640%

7 more Texas colleges offer Social Sciences but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Social Sciences graduates

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education

McAllen area$63,110
Texas$62,760
U.S.$63,970

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

McAllen area$62,500
Texas$63,590
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Social Science Research Assistants

Texas$58,070
U.S.$61,990

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at UTRGV, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About UTRGV

Related majors at UTRGV

UTRGV Social Sciences questions

How much do UTRGV Social Sciences graduates earn?

Social Sciences graduates of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley earn a median $59,440 four years after graduating and $47,248 one year after. The U.S. median for Social Sciences graduates across 85 colleges is $52,520.

How much debt do UTRGV Social Sciences graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Social Sciences graduates of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $20,238, about 34% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,130.

Is UTRGV a good school for Social Sciences in Texas?

On pay, Social Sciences graduates of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley earn $59,440 four years out, $3,414 above the median for the same major across 3 Texas colleges ($56,026) and $6,920 above the U.S. median ($52,520). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does UTRGV rank for Social Sciences in Texas?

Of 3 Texas colleges reporting Social Sciences graduate earnings, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranks 1st, the highest.

What jobs do Social Sciences graduates get?

A common career is elementary school teachers, except special education, with a median wage of $63,110 in the McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX area and $63,970 nationally. Others include secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education and social science research assistants.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Social Sciences: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/the-university-of-texas-rio-grande-valley/majors/social-sciences (College Scorecard and BLS data).