College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

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

21 Ranked Colleges
127 Degrees Awarded
$32,700 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in sociology. To top this list, a school must have a successful sociology program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Sociology Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The sociology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region doctor’s degree sociology students.

1

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 22 degrees to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW - Madison Sociology Report

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Sociology at UChicago

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 13 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Sociology at IU Bloomington

4

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Ohio State

5
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Northwestern Sociology Report

6

With a ranking of #6, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate list. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 7 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Full BGSU Sociology Report

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Sociology Report

8

University of Akron Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate list. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Akron, Ohio. It awarded 6 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Sociology Report

9

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s sociology degrees 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%.

Full UIC Sociology Report

9
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 5 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Read more about Sociology at University of Notre Dame

11
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 4 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Sociology Report

11
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate ranking. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 4 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Loyola Chicago

13

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate 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.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Sociology at UC

13

With a ranking of #13, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate list. Kent State is a public institution located in Kent, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Sociology at Kent State University at Kent

15

Case Western Reserve University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate ranking. Case Western Reserve University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 2 doctorate’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 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%.

Full Case Western Reserve University Sociology Report

15

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Sociology at SIUC

15
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #15. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 Michigan State University

15

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate ranking. UWM is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 2 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Sociology Report

19
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #19. Wayne State University is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 1 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Sociology at Wayne State

19

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at UIUC

19
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

With a ranking of #19, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Doctorate list. Western Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 1 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Sociology at WMU

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options