Best Sociology Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
This page ranks 513 Sociology programs in the United States by the median earnings of Sociology graduates four years after completing. Columbia University in the City of New York ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $101,536 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $101,536 to $20,140, with a median of $50,165. For 96 of the 513 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 64% of the list, or 327 schools, alongside 186 private nonprofit programs. CUNY Hunter College posts the lowest average net price at $2,984.
University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University in the City of New York · New York, NY | $101,536 | $21,590 | $4,570 | 4.0% |
| Columbia University in the City of New York ranks 1st on this list with median earnings of $101,536 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 4%. | |||||
| 2 | William & Mary · Williamsburg, VA | $87,655 | $19,096 | $3,106 | 34.1% |
| A public university in Williamsburg, William & Mary reports median earnings of $87,655 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $19,096. | |||||
| 3 | Vanderbilt University · Nashville, TN | $83,649 | $15,846 | $3,414 | 5.9% |
| Vanderbilt University posts median earnings of $83,649 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $14,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 4 | Dartmouth College · Hanover, NH | $81,722 | $29,519 | $41 | 5.4% |
| Dartmouth College ranks 4th on this list and shows an average net price of $41 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 5 | George Washington University · Washington, DC | $78,857 | $36,586 | $17,440 | 47.1% |
| With an admission rate of 47%, George Washington University reports median earnings of $78,857 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Barnard College · New York, NY | $77,821 | $28,800 | $11,600 | 8.8% |
| Barnard College reports median earnings of $77,821 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, and median federal debt of $14,899 among Sociology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 7 | New York University · New York, NY | $77,650 | $37,050 | $16,977 | 9.2% |
| New York University ranks 7th on this list and reports an average net price of $16,977 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 8 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | $75,267 | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
| Northwestern University posts median earnings of $75,267 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, and its admission rate is 8%. | |||||
| 9 | Cornell University · Ithaca, NY | $73,200 | $28,690 | $1,776 | 8.8% |
| Cornell University reports median earnings of $73,200 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, and median federal debt of $11,650 among Sociology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 10 | University of Pennsylvania · Philadelphia, PA | $72,217 | $28,699 | -$3,012* | 5.4% |
| University of Pennsylvania ranks 10th on this list and reports an average net price of $28,699. | |||||
| 11 | Fordham University · Bronx, NY | $71,581 | $44,338 | $32,474 | 59.3% |
| Fordham University posts median earnings of $71,581 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, and its admission rate is 59%. | |||||
| 12 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $71,363 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| University of California-Berkeley reports median earnings of $71,363 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, and median federal debt of $13,000 among Sociology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 13 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $70,555 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| At University of Southern California, an admission rate of 10% coincides with median earnings of $70,555 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | Boston College · Chestnut Hill, MA | $70,121 | $41,704 | $4,284 | 16.4% |
| Boston College admits 16% of applicants and its Sociology completers who borrowed left with a median of $18,500 in federal loans. | |||||
| 15 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $69,883 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| A public university in San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks 15th on this list and shows median earnings of $69,883 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN | $69,704 | $26,780 | $7,244 | 11.3% |
| University of Notre Dame ranks 119th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Sociology graduates earn a median of $69,704 four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Northeastern University · Boston, MA | $69,585 | $30,915 | $2,264 | 5.2% |
| With an admission rate of 5%, Northeastern University posts median earnings of $69,585 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of Virginia-Main Campus · Charlottesville, VA | $68,538 | $21,565 | $8,174 | 16.8% |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus reports an average net price of $21,565 and median federal debt of $19,239 among Sociology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 19 | The College of New Jersey · Ewing, NJ | $68,260 | $27,646 | $7,908 | 62.3% |
| The College of New Jersey ranks 19th on this list, with a cohort of 18 graduates in the earnings cohort and median earnings of $68,260 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Loyola Marymount University · Los Angeles, CA | $68,053 | $48,381 | $32,268 | 45.1% |
| Loyola Marymount University shows an average net price of $32,268 for families earning under $30,000, and its Sociology graduates earn a median of $68,053 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | California Lutheran University · Thousand Oaks, CA | $67,998 | $30,109 | $22,161 | 75.7% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at California Lutheran University left with a median of $21,669 in federal loans, and the school's Sociology completers earn a median of $67,998 four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | Assumption University · Worcester, MA | $67,635 | $29,498 | $19,885 | 83.0% |
| Assumption University admits 83% of applicants and reports median earnings of $67,635 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Hobart William Smith Colleges · Geneva, NY | $67,556 | $31,563 | $14,650 | 64.0% |
| Hobart William Smith Colleges ranks 1147th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, alongside median earnings of $67,556 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | Quinnipiac University · Hamden, CT | $67,262 | $40,675 | $33,649 | 72.2% |
| Quinnipiac University reports an average net price of $40,675 and a school-wide median federal debt of $26,000 across all borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 25 | Wagner College · Staten Island, NY | $67,061 | $28,241 | $20,993 | 88.0% |
| Wagner College reports median earnings of $67,061 for its Sociology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $28,241. | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Sociology graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the United States appear. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 96 of the 513 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first-ranked Columbia University in the City of New York and second-ranked William & Mary is $13,881.
Related rankings
- Social Sciences Colleges
- Social Sciences Colleges for Social Mobility