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2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

567 Ranked Colleges
38,394 Degrees Awarded
$3,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Sociology is the 20th most popular major in the country with 38,394 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 567 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in sociology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent sociology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the sociology program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Sociology (Income $0-$30k)

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 65 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Duke did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Sociology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Duke University is $371 for sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Sociology at Duke

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 567 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 48 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

Stanford also made our “Best Sociology Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,233 for sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sociology at Stanford

3
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Out of the 567 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #3 spot on the list. Yale University is a private not-for-profit institution located in New Haven, Connecticut. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Yale has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools” ranking. It costs about $961 for sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Yale.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Sociology at Yale University

4
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Princeton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Princeton also made our “Best Sociology Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Princeton University is $2,958 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 Princeton

5
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 44 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also took the #11 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $245 for sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sociology at Northwestern

6
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 68 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,500 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Read full report on Sociology at UChicago

7
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Sociology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UPenn is $580 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 95%.

Read more about Sociology at University of Pennsylvania

8
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 63 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $2,564 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 Harvard University

9
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rice University is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 42 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Rice did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Sociology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Rice University is $4,443 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Sociology at Rice

10
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Sociology Schools” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $3,176 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Full Vanderbilt University Sociology Report

11
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

With a ranking of #11, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,084 for sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Johns Hopkins

12
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Williamstown, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

Williams did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Sociology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Williams College is $1,451 for sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 Williams College

13
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

With a ranking of #13, Brown University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

Brown excels when it comes to sociology quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Brown University is $1,468 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Brown Sociology Report

14

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 155 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Sociology Schools” list. It costs about $2,670 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Sociology Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 129 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Sociology Report

16
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 140 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UF excels when it comes to sociology quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $65 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sociology at University of Florida

17

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 374 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,450 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Sociology at UC Berkeley

18

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 116 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill excels when it comes to sociology quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Sociology Report

19

Washington University in St Louis came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 26 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WUSTL, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $1,556 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Washington University in St Louis

20
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 91 students in 2020-2021.

Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Sociology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Cornell is $5,244 for sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Sociology at Cornell University

21

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 766 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,037 for sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Sociology Report

22

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 79 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $9,873 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Columbia University in the City of New York

23
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

With a ranking of #23, Hunter College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hunter College is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 248 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter College is $396 for sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Hunter College

24
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, District of Columbia

Georgetown University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Georgetown is located in Washington, District of Columbia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Georgetown is in the top on our “Best Sociology Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Sociology Schools” list. It costs about $3,077 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgetown University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Georgetown University Sociology Report

25
Bates crest
Bates College
Lewiston, Maine

Bates College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Lewiston, Maine, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 degrees to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Bates is also in the top of our “Best Sociology Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Bates College is $4,140 for Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sociology at Bates

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

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
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
28
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Colby College
Waterville, Maine
29
Bowdoin crest
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine
30
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
31
32
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts
33
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Queens College
Queens, New York
34
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana
35
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia
36
37
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts
38
39
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
40
41
42
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
43
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University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Sociology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

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

RankCollegeLocation
51Colgate UniversityHamilton, NY
52University of California - San DiegoLa Jolla, CA
53Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbus, OH
54Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI
55Pomona CollegeClaremont, CA
56Trinity CollegeHartford, CT
57University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
58Lehman CollegeBronx, NY
59University of California - Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA
60Arizona State University - TempeTempe, AZ
61Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VT
62Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA
63Hamilton CollegeClinton, NY
64California State University - FresnoFresno, CA
65Wellesley CollegeWellesley, MA
RankCollegeLocation
66York CollegeJamaica, NY
67California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
68California State University - Dominguez HillsCarson, CA
69Florida International UniversityMiami, FL
70University of California - RiversideRiverside, CA
71California State University - StanislausTurlock, CA
72North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC
73California State University - NorthridgeNorthridge, CA
74Haverford CollegeHaverford, PA
75Smith CollegeNorthampton, MA
76Texas A&M University - College StationCollege Station, TX
77John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNew York, NY
78California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
79California State University - East BayHayward, CA
80Central New Mexico Community CollegeAlbuquerque, NM
81Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
82University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
83California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
84San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA
85Barnard CollegeNew York, NY
86Baruch CollegeNew York, NY

Notes and References

References

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