2024 Best Sociology Schools
561
Colleges in the United States
38,394
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Sociology is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #20 most popular major in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
In 2024, College Factual analyzed 561 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Sociology Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 38,394 degrees in sociology during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Sociology School
Your choice of sociology school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for sociology schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Sociology Rankings by Degree Level
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Sociology Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for Sociology in the United States
The schools below may not offer all types of sociology degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
25 Top Schools in Sociology
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
34th
Most Popular In NY
Every student who is interested in sociology needs to check out Teachers College at Columbia University. Located in the city of New York, Teachers College is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Teachers College is a great university overall.
There were approximately 23 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Teachers College in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from Teachers College at Columbia University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In PA
37
Sociology Degrees Awarded
It's difficult to beat University of Pennsylvania if you wish to pursue a degree in sociology. Located in the large city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.
There were roughly 37 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in sociology from University of Pennsylvania
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In CT
Yale University is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in sociology. Located in the medium-sized city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.
There were roughly 30 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from Yale University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
86th
Most Popular In CA
48
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Stanford University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in sociology. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.
There were approximately 48 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from Stanford University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
13th
Most Popular In TX
42
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Rice is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.
There were about 42 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from Rice University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In NC
65
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.
There were about 65 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from Duke University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
11th
Most Popular In NY
79
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.
There were about 79 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in sociology from Columbia University in the City of New York
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In NJ
49
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Princeton is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Princeton. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Princeton is a great university overall.
There were about 49 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from Princeton University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In IL
68
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.
There were approximately 68 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from University of Chicago
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
7th
Most Popular In IL
44
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.
There were roughly 44 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from Northwestern University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In MA
63
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Harvard is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Cambridge. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.
There were roughly 63 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in sociology from Harvard University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
7th
Most Popular In CA
374
Sociology Degrees Awarded
UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley. This university ranks 4th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 374 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Berkeley
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In TN
58
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Vanderbilt is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Nashville. This university ranks 1st out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.
There were approximately 58 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from Vanderbilt University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In CA
766
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 5th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 766 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Los Angeles
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In IN
54
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Located in the large suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.
There were about 54 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from University of Notre Dame
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
69th
Most Popular In CA
63
Sociology Degrees Awarded
USC is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 63 sociology students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in sociology from University of Southern California
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In NH
31
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Dartmouth is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the remote town of Hanover. This college ranks 1st out of 17 schools for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.
There were roughly 31 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from Dartmouth College
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In WA
274
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 51 colleges for overall quality in the state of Washington.
There were roughly 274 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In WI
129
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.
There were approximately 129 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in sociology from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, WUSTL is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.
There were roughly 26 sociology students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from Washington University in St Louis
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In MD
33
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore. This university ranks 1st out of 36 schools for overall quality in the state of Maryland.
There were approximately 33 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from Johns Hopkins University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
9th
Most Popular In NY
78
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were approximately 78 sociology students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in sociology from New York University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
8th
Most Popular In NY
91
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca. This university ranks 3rd out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.
There were approximately 91 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from Cornell University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In GA
70
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Located in the large city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.
There were approximately 70 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in sociology from Emory University
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In VA
228
Sociology Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population. This school ranks 2nd out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.
There were about 228 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in sociology from Virginia Tech