University of Oregon Social Sciences: earnings, debt & careers

Social Sciences graduates of University of Oregon earn a median $57,532 four years after graduating ($38,147 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $22,917. That is $5,012 above the U.S. median for Social Sciences graduates ($52,520 across 85 colleges), and ranks 2nd of 6 Oregon colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$57,532

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

College Scorecard field of study; 380 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$38,147

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$22,917

About 40% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,130.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$22,182 /yr

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

Sticker price $34,793. College Scorecard.

UO Social Sciences: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

UO graduates$57,532
Oregon median (6 colleges)$52,242 (+$5,290)
U.S. median (85 colleges)$52,520 (+$5,012)

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 UO'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$15,909$66,8183.2 years
$30–48k$15,760$66,1923.2 years
$48–75k$18,364$77,1293.7 years
$75–110k$24,704$103,7574.9 years
$110k+$31,021$130,2886.2 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 ($57,532) minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OR (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $20,983 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 Oregon colleges

Every Oregon 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
1Southern Oregon University$61,526$27,167$16,73243%
2University of Oregon$57,532$22,917$22,18272%
3Portland State University$52,562$31,000$9,55253%
4Western Oregon University$51,921$25,000$17,23747%
5Oregon State University$51,005—$19,60470%
6Oregon State University-Cascades Campus$51,005—$18,04856%

3 more Oregon colleges offer Social Sciences but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Social Sciences graduates

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education

Eugene area$64,260
Oregon$77,130
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

Eugene area$79,900
Oregon$79,570
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

Eugene area$51,530
Oregon$56,770
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 UO, by income

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

College Scorecard

About UO

Related majors at UO

UO Social Sciences questions

How much do UO Social Sciences graduates earn?

Social Sciences graduates of University of Oregon earn a median $57,532 four years after graduating and $38,147 one year after. The U.S. median for Social Sciences graduates across 85 colleges is $52,520.

How much debt do UO Social Sciences graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Social Sciences graduates of University of Oregon is $22,917, about 40% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,130.

Is UO a good school for Social Sciences in Oregon?

On pay, Social Sciences graduates of University of Oregon earn $57,532 four years out, $5,290 above the median for the same major across 6 Oregon colleges ($52,242) and $5,012 above the U.S. median ($52,520). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does UO rank for Social Sciences in Oregon?

Of 6 Oregon colleges reporting Social Sciences graduate earnings, University of Oregon ranks 2nd. The highest is Southern Oregon University at $61,526.

What jobs do Social Sciences graduates get?

A common career is elementary school teachers, except special education, with a median wage of $64,260 in the Eugene-Springfield, OR 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: “University of Oregon Social Sciences: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-oregon/majors/social-sciences (College Scorecard and BLS data).