College Factual has recently placed Brandeis University in the top-10 list of colleges for both Economics and Sociology degrees. This editorial board applauds the Economics and Sociology departments for these achievements. As a school with a background in liberal arts, the University must remain competitve in these areas of study, including Sociology. To additionally be recognized in the more technical social science of Economics speaks to the well-rounded education available at Brandeis. 

The University places ninth in Economics, beating out Williams University (13th), Rice University (23rd) and Tufts University (19th). In the Sociology ranking, the University holds sixth place, notably landing only one spot below Princeton University. 

These rankings attract more students to the University and make students who graduate with Economics and Sociology degrees more competitive in the job market. The University should investigate what practices within the Economics and Sociology departments have led to their success and consider how to apply similar tactics to similar areas of study. 

Although the University has more heavily publicized its science departments in recent years, liberal arts and the social sciences are core subjects to the University and should not be ignored. College Factual’s rankings indicate the importance of majors like Economics and Sociology to the University’s reputation. 

In an interview with the Justice, Prof. George Hall (ECON) accredited the program’s success not only to the teachers, but to the “intellectual passion” of students as well. Hall points out that, as students, what we invest in our education determines what we leave with after our four years here.