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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology in the Great Lakes Region

21 Ranked Colleges
127 Degrees Awarded
$32,700 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 38,475 people earned their degree in sociology, making the major the 25th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, sociology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,426 and had an average of $24,587 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,166 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,085 and $25,610 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 127 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $74,305 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in sociology. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their sociology program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

Top 21 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology in the Great Lakes Region

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Sociology at UChicago

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Sociology at BGSU

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Akron Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Akron Main Campus is located in Akron, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Sociology Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Madison Sociology Report

5
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

Out of the 21 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Notre Dame landed the #5 spot on the list. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Notre Dame

6
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #6, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Indiana University - Bloomington

7
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 9 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Sociology at Northwestern University

8
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Loyola University Chicago

9

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Ohio State

10

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 2 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Sociology Report

11

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at University of Illinois at Chicago

12

Case Western Reserve University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Sociology at Case Western

13

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 7 degrees to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

14

With a ranking of #14, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Sociology at Kent State University at Kent

15
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #15, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Purdue

16

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UWM is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 2 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Sociology Report

17

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UC is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

18
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Michigan University is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full WMU Sociology Report

19
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 2 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan State Sociology Report

20
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

With a ranking of #20, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Wayne State University is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Sociology at Wayne State

21

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UIUC Sociology Report

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