How much debt do UCF social sciences graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $26,800, which ranks 4th lowest of 5 social sciences bachelor's programs in Florida. That works out to about $284 a month over 10 years.

Is a social sciences degree from UCF worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 78% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 67%. Compare the cost with other Florida programs before deciding.

UCF Social Sciences (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do UCF social sciences graduates stay in Florida?

Most do. 79% (22 of 28) were working in Florida one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Social Sciences, General
Public university
Orlando, FL
About 26 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UCF social sciences graduates earn less than graduates of most social sciences programs nationally, $34,209 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $26,800 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,409. Two other Florida programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$34,20923rd percentile of 75 programs nationally

Median federal debt$26,8004th lowest of 5 Florida programs

Debt-to-earnings78%Florida median 70%, national 67%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Florida and national columns are the medians across all social sciences bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	UCF	Florida	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$34,209	$34,209	$37,335
Median federal debt at graduation	$26,800	$24,095	$25,409
Debt as share of first-year pay	78%	70%	67%
Programs compared		5	75

Debt and first-year pay at every Florida social sciences program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Florida medians.

UCFOther Florida programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $284 a month, or 10.0% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

79% of graduates (22 of 28) were working in Florida one year after graduating. Prices in the Orlando area are about 1% above the national average, so a $34,209 salary here buys what about $33,731 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to social sciences, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education

$58,930

Median pay in Florida. 79,090 people work in this job in Florida. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 87,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $48,680Top 10%: $75,780

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$60,410

Median pay in Florida. 49,810 people work in this job in Florida. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $49,210Top 10%: $77,100

Middle School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$58,940

Median pay in Florida. 31,370 people work in this job in Florida. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 38,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $49,310Top 10%: $75,520

Social Science Research Assistants

$50,700

Median pay in Florida. 1,130 people work in this job in Florida. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $33,190Top 10%: $81,520

About UCF

In-state tuition and fees	$6,368 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$22,467 / year
Average net price after aid	$10,411 / year
Admission rate	40%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	78%
Undergraduate students	59,146

Social Sciences ranks 42nd of 59 bachelor's programs at UCF by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Engineering ($76,819), Electrical Engineering ($75,498), and Nursing ($73,765).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $34,209 one year after graduating. The median across social sciences bachelor's programs in Florida is $34,209.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Florida comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the social sciences program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Social Sciences bachelor's programs in Florida, ranked5 programs by pay and debt Social Sciences bachelor's programs in the US, ranked75 programs by pay and debt All UCF programs, ranked59 programs by pay and debt