Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

66 Ranked Colleges
1,202 Degrees Awarded
$11,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Sociology is the 24th most popular major in the country with 37,807 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, sociology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,727 and had an average of $23,622 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,307 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,378 and $24,379 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,202 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 66 colleges that offer a degree in sociology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality sociology programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the sociology program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Sociology Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WUSTL is $6,248 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sociology at WUSTL

Out of the 66 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Morris, Minnesota, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMN Morris is $3,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Minnesota - Morris

#3

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Out of the 66 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 82 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #9 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $8,418 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $7,992 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at UMN Duluth

#5

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Macalester College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Macalester is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Macalester has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,047 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Macalester College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Sociology at Macalester

#6

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri

With a ranking of #6, Truman State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Kirksville, Missouri, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Truman State is $8,269 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Truman State University

Iowa State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school awarded 45 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $10,843 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Iowa State

North Dakota State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Fargo, North Dakota, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, North Dakota State University has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $12,544 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at North Dakota State University - Main Campus

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 43 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Mizzou has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $11,595 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Mizzou Sociology Report

#10

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #10, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $6,838 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Missouri - St Louis Sociology Report

#11

Grinnell College

Grinnell, Iowa

Grinnell College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Grinnell, Iowa, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Grinnell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Grinnell College is $14,818 for plains states region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Grinnell College Sociology Report

Minnesota State University - Mankato ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Minnesota State Mankato has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $11,781 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Minnesota State Mankato

#13

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school handed out 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UND, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UND is $11,916 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at University of North Dakota

#14

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota

With a ranking of #14, Saint Cloud State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Saint Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for St. Cloud State University is $11,274 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full St. Cloud State University Sociology Report

University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNOMAHA is a fairly large school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 34 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Omaha is $11,460 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UNOMAHA Sociology Report

#16

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Winona State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 17 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Winona State also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $13,606 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Winona State

#17

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bemidji State University is located in Bemidji, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Bemidji State University is $11,658 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Sociology at Bemidji State University

University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNL also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $13,508 for plains states region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Sociology Report

Fort Hays State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Hays, Kansas, and it awarded 55 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FHSU is $9,882 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Sociology at FHSU

Minnesota State University - Moorhead came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. MSU Moorhead is a medium-sized public school situated in Moorhead, Minnesota. It awarded 15 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Moorhead did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,279 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend MSU Moorhead.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full MSU Moorhead Sociology Report

#21

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,495 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sociology at University of Northern Iowa

#22

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota

With a ranking of #22, Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Gustavus Adolphus is a small school located in Saint Peter, Minnesota that handed out 6 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Gustavus Adolphus also took the #4 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,669 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Gustavus Adolphus College.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Sociology at Gustavus Adolphus College

#23

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Saint Johns University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Saint Johns University is a small school located in Collegeville, Minnesota that handed out 7 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, SJU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Johns University is $15,628 for plains states region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full SJU Sociology Report

#24

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Kansas State University is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 60 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Kansas State University is $15,089 for plains states region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Sociology at Kansas State University

#25

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri

Lindenwood University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lindenwood University is located in Saint Charles, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Lindenwood University is $13,918 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lindenwood University Sociology Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Kontos.

Featured Political and Social Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You