2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
79
Ranked Colleges
3,143
Degrees Awarded
$7,600
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 38,394 people earned their degree in sociology, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,143 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 79 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in sociology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great sociology programs and 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Sociology Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Sociology (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 44 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $245 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Full Northwestern University Sociology Report
Out of the 79 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 68 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
UChicago also made our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,500 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, 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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Sociology at University of Chicago
Out of the 79 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools 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 located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 155 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.
U-M also made our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Sociology at U-M
Out of the 79 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools 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. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 129 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also took the #4 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $3,981 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Madison.
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 freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Sociology at UW - Madison
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 75 degrees to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Full UIUC Sociology Report
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 119 degrees to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $5,995 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Sociology at Purdue University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #7, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also took the #10 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,752 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Sociology at Indiana University - Bloomington
University of Notre Dame landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 54 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $9,872 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Sociology at University of Notre Dame
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 107 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $7,068 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at Ohio State
Michigan State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 108 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $6,927 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Sociology at Michigan State
Oberlin College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Oberlin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oberlin, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Oberlin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin is $8,756 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Oberlin College Sociology Report
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 31 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $7,026 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Sociology at IUPUI
With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.
UW - River Falls also made our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $8,438 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Sociology Report
Beloit College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and it awarded 11 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Beloit, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Beloit College is $7,970 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at Beloit
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $7,517 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC also took the #15 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $10,549 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.
Full UIC Sociology Report
DePauw University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. DePauw University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greencastle, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePauw, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePauw is $19,503 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full DePauw Sociology Report
Oakland University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 36 degrees to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $8,949 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 Oakland University
Kenyon College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Kenyon College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Gambier, Ohio. It awarded 16 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kenyon, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,958 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Kenyon.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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.
Read more about Sociology at Kenyon
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 27 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $8,047 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Sociology Report
Purdue University Northwest ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 31 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Northwest is $6,775 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Sociology at Purdue University Northwest
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.
UW - Whitewater also took the #18 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,143 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.
Read more about Sociology at UW - Whitewater
Ball State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $8,273 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Sociology at Ball State
University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is a small public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 29 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,741 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Parkside.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Sociology at UW - Parkside
University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. USI is a medium-sized public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 8 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,815 for great lakes region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USI.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at University of Southern Indiana
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