University at Buffalo Social Sciences: earnings, debt & careers

Social Sciences graduates of University at Buffalo earn a median $56,257 four years after graduating ($28,844 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $21,000. That is $3,737 above the U.S. median for Social Sciences graduates ($52,520 across 85 colleges), and ranks 6th of 9 New York colleges.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$56,257

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

College Scorecard field of study; 376 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$28,844

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$21,000

About 37% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,130.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$20,995 /yr

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

Sticker price $30,785. College Scorecard.

UB Social Sciences: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

UB graduates$56,257
New York median (10 colleges)$57,882 (−$1,625)
U.S. median (85 colleges)$52,520 (+$3,737)

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 UB'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$14,668$62,1922.9 years
$30–48k$16,585$70,3203.3 years
$48–75k$21,262$90,1514.2 years
$75–110k$24,117$102,2564.7 years
$110k+$28,079$119,0555.5 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (59% 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 ($56,257) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $21,624 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 New York colleges

Every New York 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
1New York University$91,917$27,000$37,05088%
2Manhattan University$75,745$26,080$27,25664%
3St. Joseph's University-New York$59,028$24,500$19,03569%
4Touro University$58,798$33,937$29,62772%
5Dominican University New York$56,966$27,000$41,83253%
6University at Buffalo$56,257$21,000$20,99575%
7Mercy University$55,052$26,978$14,07246%
8Bard College$48,751$24,747$34,64968%
9Adelphi University$41,924$26,593$30,78367%

26 more New York colleges offer Social Sciences but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Social Sciences graduates

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education

Buffalo area$76,490
New York$85,760
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

Buffalo area$79,280
New York$97,070
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

New York$61,210
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 UB, by income

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

College Scorecard

About UB

Related majors at UB

UB Social Sciences questions

How much do UB Social Sciences graduates earn?

Social Sciences graduates of University at Buffalo earn a median $56,257 four years after graduating and $28,844 one year after. The U.S. median for Social Sciences graduates across 85 colleges is $52,520.

How much debt do UB Social Sciences graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Social Sciences graduates of University at Buffalo is $21,000, about 37% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,130.

Is UB a good school for Social Sciences in New York?

On pay, Social Sciences graduates of University at Buffalo earn $56,257 four years out, $1,625 below the median for the same major across 10 New York colleges ($57,882) and $3,737 above the U.S. median ($52,520). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does UB rank for Social Sciences in New York?

Of 9 New York colleges reporting Social Sciences graduate earnings, University at Buffalo ranks 6th. The highest is New York University at $91,917.

What jobs do Social Sciences graduates get?

A common career is elementary school teachers, except special education, with a median wage of $76,490 in the Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY area and $63,970 nationally. Others include secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education and social science research assistants.

Is UB the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing UB with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

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
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University at Buffalo Social Sciences: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-at-buffalo/majors/social-sciences (College Scorecard and BLS data).