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2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

21 Ranked Colleges
114 Degrees Awarded
$34,400 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 37,747 people earned their degree in sociology, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,219 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 114 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $74,428 and $121,375 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in sociology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality sociology programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the sociology program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 21 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region 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 doctorate’s sociology degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #2 spot in our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at UChicago

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 6 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Sociology at U-M

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 16 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 4 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Sociology at UIUC

#6

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full IU Bloomington Sociology Report

#7

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#3 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also made our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Notre Dame are $57,522.

Read more about Sociology at University of Notre Dame

#8

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also made our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at Purdue

#9

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State are $37,056, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Sociology at Michigan State

#8 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region doctor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ohio State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State are $37,141, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at Ohio State

#13 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

UIC also took the #13 spot in our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Illinois at Chicago

#12

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UWM is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

UWM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee are $25,295, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at UWM

#18 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 3 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #18 spot in our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are $32,928, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full SIUC Sociology Report

#9 in overall quality

Case Western Reserve University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Case Western Reserve University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 2 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region doctor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Case Western has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Case Western Reserve University are $47,958, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Sociology at Case Western

#15

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wayne State is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wayne State also made our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Wayne State University are $37,215.

Read more about Sociology at Wayne State University

#16

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#14 in overall quality

Western Michigan University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. WMU is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

WMU also made our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. Average graduate tuition and fees at WMU are $31,355, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at WMU

#17 in overall quality

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. BGSU is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BGSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus are $15,823, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Sociology at BGSU

#20 in overall quality

Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Kent State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Kent State University at Kent are $21,952.

Read full report on Sociology at Kent State University at Kent

#16 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

UC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC are $26,644, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at UC

#21 in overall quality

University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Akron, Ohio. It awarded 4 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Akron Main Campus, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Akron Main Campus are $15,217.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Sociology Report

#21

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Doctorate in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Loyola University Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region doctor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Sociology Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Loyola University Chicago are $19,154.

Read more about Sociology at Loyola Chicago

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Kontos.

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