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. The highest-paying schools turn a sociology degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
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:
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 Northern Kentucky University this year. Set in the suburb of Highland Heights, Northern Kentucky University is a public institution. Sociology graduates of Northern Kentucky University earn a median of about $41,232 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in sociology will find them at University Of Kentucky, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Lexington, University Of Kentucky is a public institution. Early-career sociology graduates from University Of Kentucky make a median of around $42,327 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Louisville earned it the #3 place for sociology. Located in the city of Louisville, University Of Louisville is a public institution. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $45,142.
Morehead State University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in sociology, landing the #4 spot this year. Morehead State University is a public school located in the town of Morehead. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $39,101.
Western Kentucky University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in sociology, landing the #5 spot this year. Western Kentucky University is a public school located in the city of Bowling Green. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $41,047.
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.