Best Schools for Sociology
Sociology graduates earn a median of $31,638 within two years of graduation, ranking #199 out of 292 tracked majors — 11% below the median across all fields. There are 545 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 28,200 recent graduates.
Where you study matters: Harvard University graduates earn $56,641 while Georgia Southern University graduates earn $16,015 — a $40,626 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap.
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 $1,475 more in early earnings on average for Sociology graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.
Sociology by State
Top Sociology Schools by Graduate Earnings
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · Private
Tufts University
Medford, MA · Private
Barnard College
New York, NY · Private
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private
New York University
New York, NY · Private
Minnesota State University Moorhead
Moorhead, MN · Public
Duke University
Durham, NC · Private
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ · Private
Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA · Private
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY · Private
Bradley University
Peoria, IL · Private
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MA · Private
Assumption University
Worcester, MA · Private
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA · Private
Connecticut College
New London, CT · Private
Curry College
Milton, MA · Private
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, MA · Private
Boston University
Boston, MA · Private
Occidental College
Los Angeles, CA · Private
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA · Private
Seton Hall University
South Orange, NJ · Private
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · Public
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public
American University
Washington, DC · Private
Suffolk University
Boston, MA · Private
The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX · Public
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT · Private
University of Maryland-Baltimore County
Baltimore, MD · Public
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY · Private
The Catholic University of America
Washington, DC · Private
Providence College
Providence, RI · Private
Stonehill College
Easton, MA · Private
Texas Woman's University
Denton, TX · Public
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private
The University of Texas at Dallas
Richardson, TX · Public
Georgetown University
Washington, DC · Private
Hanover College
Hanover, IN · Private
American Public University System
Charles Town, WV ·
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN · Private
Rice University
Houston, TX · Private
University of Houston
Houston, TX · Public
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
East Stroudsburg, PA · Public
Colorado Mesa University
Grand Junction, CO · Public
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA · Private
Simmons University
Boston, MA · Private
Concordia College at Moorhead
Moorhead, MN · Private
CUNY York College
Jamaica, NY · Public
Siena College
Loudonville, NY · Private
John Carroll University
University Heights, OH · Private
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA · Private
Showing top 50 of 545 schools. View all or filter by state above.
Majors with Similar Earnings
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data updated June 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders.
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