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 9 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.
Our analysis ranked Tulane University Of Louisiana the top school for sociology graduate earnings in Louisiana. Tulane University Of Louisiana is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New Orleans. Sociology graduates of Tulane University Of Louisiana earn a median of about $69,636 a year early in their careers.
Southern University And A And M College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying sociology schools. Southern University And A And M College is a public school located in the city of Baton Rouge. Sociology graduates of Southern University And A And M College earn a median of about $45,709 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of New Orleans earned it the #3 place for sociology. University Of New Orleans is a public school located in the city of New Orleans. Sociology graduates of University Of New Orleans earn a median of about $41,087 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Louisiana Tech University earned it the #4 place for sociology. Located in the town of Ruston, Louisiana Tech University is a public institution. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $40,978.
Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in sociology, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana State University And Agricultural And Mechanical College is a public institution. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $50,458.
Mcneese State University came in at #6 for sociology graduate earnings this year. Mcneese State University is a public school located in the city of Lake Charles. Sociology graduates of Mcneese State University earn a median of about $44,679 a year early in their careers.
Nicholls State University landed the #7 spot for sociology salaries this year. Located in the city of Thibodaux, Nicholls State University is a public institution. Sociology graduates of Nicholls State University earn a median of about $39,634 a year early in their careers.
University Of Louisiana Lafayette earned the #8 position for sociology graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Lafayette, University Of Louisiana Lafayette is a public institution. Sociology graduates of University Of Louisiana Lafayette earn a median of about $36,661 a year early in their careers.
Loyola University New Orleans landed the #9 spot for sociology salaries this year. Located in the city of New Orleans, Loyola University New Orleans is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $26,581.
This list is compiled 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 · 9 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.
