by our College Data Analytics Team
[Sociology](/majors/social-sciences/sociology/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a sociology degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 44 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying sociology schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send sociology graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in sociology, no school beat Harvard University this year. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. Sociology graduates of Harvard University earn a median of about $89,947 a year early in their careers.
Dartmouth College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in sociology, landing the #2 spot this year. Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Hanover. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $74,367.
A rank of #3 makes Quinnipiac University one of the highest-paying schools for sociology. Located in the suburb of Hamden, Quinnipiac University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $62,896.
A rank of #4 makes Boston College one of the highest-paying schools for sociology. Set in the city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career sociology graduates from Boston College make a median of around $83,459 per year.
Clark University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying sociology schools. Clark University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Worcester. Sociology graduates of Clark University earn a median of about $55,998 a year early in their careers.
Colby Sawyer College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying sociology schools. Located in the rural area of New London, Colby Sawyer College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career sociology graduates from Colby Sawyer College make a median of around $54,699 per year.
Brandeis University placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for sociology. Located in the city of Waltham, Brandeis University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, sociology degree recipients from Brandeis University typically earn about $63,066 annually.
Boston University landed the #8 spot for sociology salaries this year. Set in the city of Boston, Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $71,736.
Curry College ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying sociology schools. Set in the suburb of Milton, Curry College is a private not-for-profit institution. Sociology graduates of Curry College earn a median of about $51,674 a year early in their careers.
University Of Rhode Island landed the #10 spot for sociology salaries this year. Located in the suburb of Kingston, University Of Rhode Island is a public institution. After graduating, sociology degree recipients from University Of Rhode Island typically earn about $62,936 annually.
Trinity College came in at #11 for sociology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Hartford, Trinity College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career sociology graduates from Trinity College make a median of around $50,077 per year.
College Of The Holy Cross earned the #12 position for sociology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Worcester, College Of The Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution. Sociology graduates of College Of The Holy Cross earn a median of about $68,340 a year early in their careers.
Northeastern University ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying sociology schools. Set in the city of Boston, Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career sociology graduates from Northeastern University make a median of around $59,603 per year.
Providence College landed the #14 spot for sociology salaries this year. Located in the city of Providence, Providence College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $66,380.
University Of New Hampshire Main Campus ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying sociology schools. University Of New Hampshire Main Campus is a public school located in the town of Durham. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $56,595.
Tufts University landed the #16 spot for sociology salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Medford, Tufts University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, sociology degree recipients from Tufts University typically earn about $47,859 annually.
Bowdoin College placed #17 among the highest-paying schools for sociology. Located in the town of Brunswick, Bowdoin College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, sociology degree recipients from Bowdoin College typically earn about $47,749 annually.
University Of Massachusetts Boston landed the #18 spot for sociology salaries this year. University Of Massachusetts Boston is a public school located in the city of Boston. Early-career sociology graduates from University Of Massachusetts Boston make a median of around $55,944 per year.
Salem State University landed the #19 spot for sociology salaries this year. Located in the suburb of Salem, Salem State University is a public institution. After graduating, sociology degree recipients from Salem State University typically earn about $55,337 annually.
Suffolk University landed the #20 spot for sociology salaries this year. Suffolk University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. After graduating, sociology degree recipients from Suffolk University typically earn about $57,937 annually.
Stonehill College ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying sociology schools. Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Easton. Sociology graduates of Stonehill College earn a median of about $60,844 a year early in their careers.
University Of Connecticut ranked #22 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying sociology schools. University Of Connecticut is a public school located in the town of Storrs. After graduating, sociology degree recipients from University Of Connecticut typically earn about $60,962 annually.
Middlebury College came in at #23 for sociology graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Middlebury, Middlebury College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career sociology graduates from Middlebury College make a median of around $64,699 per year.
Framingham State University came in at #24 for sociology graduate earnings this year. Framingham State University is a public school located in the city of Framingham. After graduating, sociology degree recipients from Framingham State University typically earn about $56,071 annually.
Central Connecticut State University came in at #25 for sociology graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of New Britain, Central Connecticut State University is a public institution. Sociology graduates of Central Connecticut State University earn a median of about $55,614 a year early in their careers.
These schools also send sociology graduates into strong-paying careers this year:
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 · 44 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.