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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 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.
Arizona State University tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying sociology schools in Arizona. Arizona State University is a public school located in the city of Tempe. After graduating, sociology degree recipients from Arizona State University typically earn about $49,636 annually.
Arizona State University Skysong produces some of the highest-paid graduates in sociology, landing the #2 spot this year. Arizona State University Skysong is a public school located in the city of Scottsdale. Sociology graduates of Arizona State University Skysong earn a median of about $49,636 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Arizona earned it the #3 place for sociology. University Of Arizona is a public school located in the city of Tucson. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $48,571.
Northern Arizona University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in sociology, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University is a public institution. Sociology graduates of Northern Arizona University earn a median of about $52,287 a year early in their careers.
This ranking is produced 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 · 4 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.