Best Schools for Sociology
Sociology graduates earn a median of $52,932 within four years of graduating, ranking #198 out of 283 tracked majors — 15% below the median across all fields. There are 574 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 29,403 recent graduates.
Where you study matters: Columbia University in the City of New York graduates earn $101,536 while University of Puerto Rico at Cayey graduates earn $26,901 — a $74,635 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap. Across all fields, though, which major you pick separates earnings more than which college does.
Early career salary growth is modest: Sociology graduates see an average 4% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.
Public vs Private: Sociology
Private schools produce $7,372 more in early earnings on average for Sociology graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.
Sociology by State
Also by state: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Top Sociology Schools by Graduate Earnings
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY · Private
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA · Public
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN · Private
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH · Private
George Washington University
Washington, DC · Private
Barnard College
New York, NY · Private
New York University
New York, NY · Private
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY · Private
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA · Private
Fordham University
Bronx, NY · Private
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA · Private
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA · Private
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN · Private
Northeastern University
Boston, MA · Private
University of Virginia-Main Campus
Charlottesville, VA · Public
Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA · Private
The College of New Jersey
Ewing, NJ · Public
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA · Private
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, CA · Private
Assumption University
Worcester, MA · Private
Hobart William Smith Colleges
Geneva, NY · Private
Quinnipiac University
Hamden, CT · Private
Wagner College
Staten Island, NY · Private
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY · Private
University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD · Public
Hartwick College
Oneonta, NY · Private
CUNY Brooklyn College
Brooklyn, NY · Public
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA · Private
SUNY College at Geneseo
Geneseo, NY · Public
Clark University
Worcester, MA · Private
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA · Private
National University
San Diego, CA · Private
Binghamton University
Vestal, NY · Public
Providence College
Providence, RI · Private
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, MA · Private
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA · Public
Siena College
Loudonville, NY · Private
Boston University
Boston, MA · Private
Connecticut College
New London, CT · Private
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL · Private
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA · Public
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA · Public
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI · Public
Shepherd University
Shepherdstown, WV · Public
Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, PA · Private
University of Massachusetts Global
Aliso Viejo, CA · Public
Showing top 50 of 574 schools. View all or filter by state above.
Majors with Similar Earnings
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best school for Sociology?
How much do Sociology graduates earn?
How hard is it to get into a top Sociology program?
Is a public or private school better for Sociology?
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders, from the field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release — Scorecard publishes the two separately.
Get Sociology Career Insights
We're building major-specific salary reports with ROI by school. Be the first to get yours.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.