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.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 3 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 University Of New Mexico Main Campus the top school for sociology graduate earnings in New Mexico. Set in the city of Albuquerque, University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career sociology graduates from University Of New Mexico Main Campus make a median of around $44,905 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in sociology will find them at New Mexico State University Main Campus, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University Main Campus is a public institution. Sociology graduates of New Mexico State University Main Campus earn a median of about $41,470 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus earned it the #3 place for sociology. Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus is a public school located in the town of Portales. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $29,167.
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 · 3 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.