by our College Data Analytics Team
[Sociology](/majors/social-sciences/sociology/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The schools below stand out for the salaries their sociology graduates go on to command.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the early-career earnings of their sociology graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send sociology graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earned the #1 spot for highest-paid sociology graduates in Michigan. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $64,923.
A rank of #2 makes Michigan State University one of the highest-paying schools for sociology. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a public institution. Sociology graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of about $60,828 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #3 makes Western Michigan University one of the highest-paying schools for sociology. Set in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a public institution. Early-career sociology graduates from Western Michigan University make a median of around $58,151 per year.
A rank of #4 makes Saginaw Valley State University one of the highest-paying schools for sociology. Located in the suburb of University Center, Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution. Early-career sociology graduates from Saginaw Valley State University make a median of around $42,539 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in sociology will find them at University Of Michigan Flint, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Flint, University Of Michigan Flint is a public institution. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $42,356.
Grand Valley State University placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for sociology. Located in the town of Allendale, Grand Valley State University is a public institution. Early-career sociology graduates from Grand Valley State University make a median of around $47,684 per year.
Wayne State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying sociology schools. Wayne State University is a public school located in the city of Detroit. Sociology graduates of Wayne State University earn a median of about $48,799 a year early in their careers.
Hope College earned the #8 position for sociology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Holland, Hope College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career sociology graduates from Hope College make a median of around $51,986 per year.
Eastern Michigan University earned the #9 position for sociology graduate earnings this year. Eastern Michigan University is a public school located in the suburb of Ypsilanti. Sociology graduates of Eastern Michigan University earn a median of about $46,350 a year early in their careers.
Central Michigan University landed the #10 spot for sociology salaries this year. Central Michigan University is a public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Sociology graduates of Central Michigan University earn a median of about $47,455 a year early in their careers.
Oakland University placed #11 among the highest-paying schools for sociology. Located in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland University is a public institution. After graduating, sociology degree recipients from Oakland University typically earn about $51,583 annually.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries sociology graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 11 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.