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2024 Best Sociology Schools

561 Colleges in the United States
38,475 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$31,426 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in sociology, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #25 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 561 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for sociology students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 38,475 degrees in sociology during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Sociology School

Best Sociology Schools The sociology program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Sociology rankings. We derive our Best Overall Sociology School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Sociology Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Sociology
Bachelor's Degrees in Sociology
Master's Degrees in Sociology
Doctor's Degrees in Sociology

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Sociology Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Sociology in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the sociology degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Sociology

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$63,289 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Teachers College at Columbia University if you wish to pursue a degree in sociology. Teachers College is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Teachers College is a great university overall.

There were roughly 23 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Teachers College in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the sociology program at Teachers College at Columbia University make $31,863 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in sociology from Teachers College at Columbia University

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$43,668 Median Starting Salary

University of Pennsylvania is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in sociology. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UPenn is a great university overall.

There were approximately 37 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UPenn in the most recent year we have data available. Sociology degree recipients from University of Pennsylvania receive an earnings boost of around $12,242 above the typical earnings of sociology majors.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Pennsylvania

3
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In CT

Every student who is interested in sociology has to check out Yale University. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of New Haven. A Best Colleges rank of #8 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Yale is a great university overall.

There were approximately 30 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sociology from Yale University

4
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
86th Most Popular In CA
48 Sociology Degrees Awarded

Every student who is interested in sociology needs to take a look at Stanford University. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were roughly 48 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sociology from Stanford University

5
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In TX
42 Sociology Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Houston, Rice is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #16 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Rice is a great university overall.

There were about 42 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Rice in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sociology from Rice University

6
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Sociology Degrees Awarded
9.2% Growth in Graduates

Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 65 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Those sociology students who get their degree from Duke University make $28,931 more than the average sociology grad.

More information about a degree in sociology from Duke University

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$53,374 Median Starting Salary

Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were roughly 79 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Those sociology students who get their degree from Columbia University in the City of New York receive $21,948 more than the standard sociology graduate.

More information about a degree in sociology from Columbia University in the City of New York

8
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$44,901 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Princeton is a great university overall.

There were about 49 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Princeton in the most recent data year. Sociology degree recipients from Princeton University receive an earnings boost of around $13,475 over the typical income of sociology graduates.

More information about a degree in sociology from Princeton University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IL
68 Sociology Degrees Awarded

UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 68 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Chicago

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
44 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$41,134 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 44 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Sociology degree recipients from Northwestern University receive an earnings boost of around $9,708 over the typical earnings of sociology graduates.

More information about a degree in sociology from Northwestern University

11
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$58,277 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were roughly 63 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year. Sociology degree recipients from Harvard University receive an earnings boost of approximately $26,851 over the average income of sociology graduates.

More information about a degree in sociology from Harvard University

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
374 Sociology Degrees Awarded
12.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 374 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the sociology degree program at University of California - Berkeley make $31,127 above the standard graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Berkeley

13
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In TN
58 Sociology Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 58 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sociology from Vanderbilt University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
766 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$32,675 Median Starting Salary

UCLA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 5th out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 766 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, sociology degree recipients generally make about $32,675 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Los Angeles

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IN
54 Sociology Degrees Awarded

Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. This university ranks 1st out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were about 54 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Notre Dame

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$37,102 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #11 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means USC is a great university overall.

There were about 63 sociology students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the sociology degree program at University of Southern California get $5,676 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Southern California

17
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$49,859 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 1st out of 17 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Hampshire.

There were about 31 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent data year. Those sociology students who get their degree from Dartmouth College earn $18,433 more than the average sociology graduate.

More information about a degree in sociology from Dartmouth College

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
274 Sociology Degrees Awarded
34.3% Growth in Graduates

UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the large city of Seattle. This university ranks 1st out of 51 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were approximately 274 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. Sociology degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus get an earnings boost of around $4,524 over the average income of sociology graduates.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
152 Sociology Degrees Awarded
18.4% Growth in Graduates

UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Madison. This university ranks 1st out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were roughly 152 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. Those sociology students who get their degree from University of Wisconsin - Madison earn $6,346 more than the average sociology student.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Wisconsin - Madison

20
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MO
26.9% Growth in Graduates

WUSTL is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Saint Louis. This university ranks 1st out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were roughly 26 sociology students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sociology from Washington University in St Louis

21
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In MD
33 Sociology Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 36 schools for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were roughly 33 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sociology from Johns Hopkins University

22
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
78 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$42,066 Median Starting Salary

NYU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. This university ranks 4th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 78 sociology students who graduated with this degree at NYU in the most recent year we have data available. Those sociology students who get their degree from New York University earn $10,640 more than the average sociology student.

More information about a degree in sociology from New York University

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
91 Sociology Degrees Awarded
12.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 3rd out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 91 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, sociology degree recipients typically earn about $32,205 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in sociology from Cornell University

24
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 Sociology Degrees Awarded
18.6% Growth in Graduates

Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Atlanta. This university ranks 2nd out of 68 colleges for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were about 70 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, sociology degree recipients typically earn an average of $30,166 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in sociology from Emory University

25
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
228 Sociology Degrees Awarded
14.5% Growth in Graduates

Virginia Tech is a fairly large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. This school ranks 2nd out of 63 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 228 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Sociology degree recipients from Virginia Tech get an earnings boost of about $4,213 over the typical earnings of sociology graduates.

More information about a degree in sociology from Virginia Tech

Rest of the Top 50 Best Sociology Schools

26
27
28
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC
29
30
31
32

33

34
35
36
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI
37
38
39
40
41

42

43
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
44
45
46
47
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, MA
47
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
48
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
49
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the rest of the colleges awarded a Best Sociology Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 561 different United States sociology schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
50 Amherst College Amherst, MA
51 The Graduate Center, CUNY New York, NY
51 Pomona College Claremont, CA
52 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
53 Tufts University Medford, MA
54 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
55 University of Georgia Athens, GA
56 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
57 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
58 Boston University Boston, MA
59 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
60 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
61 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
62 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
63 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
64 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
65 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
66 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
67 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
68 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
69 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
70 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
71 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
72 George Washington University Washington, DC
73 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
74 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
75 University of Delaware Newark, DE
76 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
77 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
78 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
79 Barnard College New York, NY
80 Fordham University Bronx, NY
81 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
82 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
83 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
84 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Sociology Schools award.

Rank College Location
85 Iowa State University Ames, IA
86 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
87 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA
88 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
89 Providence College Providence, RI
89 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
91 Hunter College New York, NY
92 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
93 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
94 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
95 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
96 Villanova University Villanova, PA
97 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
98 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
99 Trinity College Hartford, CT
100 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
101 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
102 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
103 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
104 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
105 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
106 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
107 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
108 American University Washington, DC
109 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
110 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
111 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
112 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY

Sociology by Region

View the Best Sociology Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Sociology is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

Sociology Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Sociology 38,394
Applied/Public Sociology 49

View All Sociology Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Sociology

Related Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 49,282
Economics 49,055
General Social Sciences 18,997
International Relations & National Security 14,306
Anthropology 11,415
Geography & Cartography 8,526
Other Social Sciences 2,414
Urban Studies 1,507
Sociology & Anthropology 541
Archeology 339

View All Sociology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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