Sociology: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Sociology graduates earn a median $52,657 four years after finishing — $4,297/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 15.7 years. Federal data pools 883 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 27,244 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Sociology ranks #150 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 26% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $101,536 |
| 2 | William & Mary | VA | $87,655 |
| 3 | Vanderbilt University | TN | $83,649 |
| 4 | Dartmouth College | NH | $81,722 |
| 5 | George Washington University | DC | $78,857 |
| 6 | Barnard College | NY | $77,821 |
| 7 | New York University | NY | $77,650 |
| 8 | Northwestern University | IL | $75,267 |
| 9 | Cornell University | NY | $73,200 |
| 10 | University of Pennsylvania | PA | $72,217 |
| 11 | Fordham University | NY | $71,581 |
| 12 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $71,363 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.