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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology

974 Ranked Colleges
29,576 Degrees Awarded
$31,081 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Sociology is the 25th most popular major in the country with 38,475 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 29,576 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 974 colleges that offer a degree in sociology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular sociology programs in the United States.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 “Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s”.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 737 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 UCLA

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 717 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Sociology Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 492 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 CSUN

4

Out of the 974 schools in the Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Riverside landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 393 bachelors’s degrees 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Sociology at UCR

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 385 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

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 California State University - Los Angeles

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 382 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cal State Fullerton Sociology Report

7

University of California - Berkeley landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 356 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 University of California - Berkeley

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 308 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at California State University - Long Beach

9

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 290 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at California State University - Dominguez Hills

10

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 286 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Sac State

10

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 286 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Sociology at UC Irvine

12

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 270 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

13

With a ranking of #13, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 268 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - San Marcos Sociology Report

14

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 266 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UW Seattle Sociology Report

15

University of California - Davis ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 264 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

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 1.5% 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 UC Davis

16

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 261 degrees to qualified bachelors’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 2.9% 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 UC Santa Cruz

17

With a ranking of #17, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 259 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sociology at California State University - San Bernardino

18
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York

Lehman College ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Bronx, New York, and it awarded 248 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Lehman College Sociology Report

19

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 247 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State East Bay Sociology Report

20
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 246 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Hunter College

21
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #21, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school handed out 216 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Virginia Tech

22
UAlbany crest
University at Albany
Albany, New York

University at Albany landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University at Albany is a fairly large public school situated in Albany, New York. It awarded 212 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University at Albany Sociology Report

22
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school handed out 212 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State Sociology Report

24

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it awarded 196 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Arizona State University - Skysong

25

University of Colorado Boulder ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Boulder, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 195 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Colorado Boulder Sociology Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York
29
30
University at Buffalo crest
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
31
32
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
32
34
35
36
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York
37
38
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California
39
39
39
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia
42
43
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington
43
45
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
46
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
47
47
49
49
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Bachelor’s

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
51University of FloridaGainesville, FL
53University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, MA
54University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
55SUNY New PaltzNew Paltz, NY
56University of OregonEugene, OR
57Purdue University - Main CampusWest Lafayette, IN
58The University of Arizona Global CampusSan Diego, CA
59Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI
59American Public University SystemCharles Town, WV
59Brigham Young University - ProvoProvo, UT
62Florida International UniversityMiami, FL
63University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
63University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC
65Arizona State University - TempeTempe, AZ
RankCollegeLocation
66The University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN
67University of Minnesota - Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MN
68Old Dominion UniversityNorfolk, VA
69University of Wisconsin - MadisonMadison, WI
70University of Maryland - College ParkCollege Park, MD
71University of Wisconsin - Stevens PointStevens Point, WI
72Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
73University of California - MercedMerced, CA
74Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA
75Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
76California Polytechnic State University - San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CA
77University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
77Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR
79Kennesaw State UniversityKennesaw, GA
80Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA
80York CollegeJamaica, NY
82University of Virginia - Main CampusCharlottesville, VA
83Ohio University - Athens CampusAthens, OH
83Southern Connecticut State UniversityNew Haven, CT
83Kean UniversityUnion, NJ
86University of Hawaii at ManoaHonolulu, HI
87Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX
88University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR
88University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
88University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL
RankCollegeLocation
91University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
92Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY
92Northern Illinois UniversityDekalb, IL
92The City College of New YorkNew York, NY
95Texas Woman’s UniversityDenton, TX
96University of North TexasDenton, TX
96Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
98University of South Florida - Main CampusTampa, FL
99Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS
99Norfolk State UniversityNorfolk, VA
99Portland State UniversityPortland, OR
102Montana State UniversityBozeman, MT
102University of IdahoMoscow, ID
102Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL
105University of Massachusetts - BostonBoston, MA
105Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
105University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA
108Tulane University of LouisianaNew Orleans, LA
108Suffolk UniversityBoston, MA
108Christopher Newport UniversityNewport News, VA
111Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, WA
111Bridgewater State UniversityBridgewater, MA
111Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA
111University of New Mexico - Main CampusAlbuquerque, NM
115William Paterson University of New JerseyWayne, NJ
RankCollegeLocation
115Oklahoma State University - Main CampusStillwater, OK
117College of CharlestonCharleston, SC
117Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA
117North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
117Brigham Young University - IdahoRexburg, ID
121Tennessee Technological UniversityCookeville, TN
121Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ
121Western Kentucky UniversityBowling Green, KY
121Columbia University in the City of New YorkNew York, NY
121James Madison UniversityHarrisonburg, VA
126University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL
126The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX
126New York UniversityNew York, NY
129New Jersey City UniversityJersey City, NJ
129University of DelawareNewark, DE
129University of ArizonaTucson, AZ
129University of HoustonHouston, TX
129University of Central OklahomaEdmond, OK
129Duke UniversityDurham, NC
135University of West GeorgiaCarrollton, GA
135Worcester State UniversityWorcester, MA
135University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
135University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT
135University of Colorado at Colorado SpringsColorado Springs, CO
140Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY
RankCollegeLocation
140The University of MontanaMissoula, MT
142Coastal Carolina UniversityConway, SC
142Clemson UniversityClemson, SC
144University of Florida-OnlineGainesville, FL
144East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC
144Miami University - OxfordOxford, OH
147Washington State UniversityPullman, WA
147University of San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA
147University of San DiegoSan Diego, CA
147University of Maryland - Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD

Notes and References

References

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