by our College Data Analytics Team
[Sociology](/majors/social-sciences/sociology/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The schools below stand out for the salaries their sociology graduates go on to command.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the early-career earnings of their sociology graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose sociology graduates go on to earn the most.
Leading the list is University Of Kansas, our #1 for sociology graduate salaries in Kansas. University Of Kansas is a public school located in the city of Lawrence. After graduating, sociology degree recipients from University Of Kansas typically earn about $60,399 annually.
A rank of #2 makes Kansas State University one of the highest-paying schools for sociology. Set in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a public institution. After graduating, sociology degree recipients from Kansas State University typically earn about $53,046 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in sociology will find them at Fort Hays State University, which ranked #3. Fort Hays State University is a public school located in the town of Hays. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $47,473.
Strong graduate earnings at Wichita State University earned it the #4 place for sociology. Wichita State University is a public school located in the city of Wichita. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $37,333.
Strong graduate earnings at Emporia State University earned it the #5 place for sociology. Emporia State University is a public school located in the town of Emporia. Students who complete the sociology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $45,194.
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 · 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.