Social stress is associated with development of many psychological and physiological disturbances in humans. Animal models are needed to determine the etiology of these diseases and to develop rational clinical therapies to treat those afflicted. Rodent and non-human primate models of social stress have been developed to address these needs and contribute in complementary ways to the understanding of social stress. In this review, we provide an overview of common rodent and non-human primate models of social stress used in the laboratory with a focus on social hierarchy models. The implications of the current findings on understanding of the development of stress-related disease will also be discussed.