by our College Data Analytics Team
[Sociology](/majors/social-sciences/sociology/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find where sociology graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose sociology graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in sociology, no school beat Catholic University Of America this year. Located in the city of Washington, Catholic University Of America is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, sociology degree recipients from Catholic University Of America typically earn about $66,324 annually.
George Washington University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in sociology, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $64,513.
Strong graduate earnings at American University earned it the #3 place for sociology. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $62,954.
Students chasing top earnings in sociology will find them at Georgetown University, which ranked #4. Georgetown University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. After graduating, sociology degree recipients from Georgetown University typically earn about $57,169 annually.
Howard University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in sociology, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Washington, Howard University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career sociology graduates from Howard University make a median of around $41,423 per year.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their sociology graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 5 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.