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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

103 Ranked Colleges
2,819 Degrees Awarded
$8,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,819 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 103 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.

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

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $3,995 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Sociology at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 31 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $2,800 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Chicago.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UChicago Sociology Report

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 139 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,887 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 U-M Sociology Report

#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,860 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Sociology Report

#5

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 103 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Notre Dame landed the #5 spot on the list. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,609 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Notre Dame.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low 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 more about Sociology at University of Notre Dame

#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#8 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 95 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,879 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 93%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Sociology Report

#7 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 65 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $8,464 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#8

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#19 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,192 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Sociology at IU Bloomington

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $10,037 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Ohio State Sociology Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 97 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $11,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Sociology Report

#11

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
#14 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $9,795 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at UW - La Crosse

#12

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $10,124 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - River Falls Sociology Report

#13

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Richmond, Indiana, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,002 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - East.

Read more about Sociology at IU East

#14

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Hammond, Indiana, this medium-sized public school handed out 43 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $8,401 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Purdue University Northwest Sociology Report

With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kenosha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $9,018 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Sociology at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

#16

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $12,156 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at UW - Whitewater

#17

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Beloit is a private not-for-profit institution located in Beloit, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Beloit College is $7,628 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Sociology at Beloit College

With a ranking of #18, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,938 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SIUE.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Sociology Report

#19

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in South Bend, Indiana, this small public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,057 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.

Read more about Sociology at Indiana University - South Bend

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $6,315 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at IUPUI

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 66 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,185 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Sociology Report

#22

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 72 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,861 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NIU.

Read full report on Sociology at Northern Illinois University

#23

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. GVSU is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $12,459 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at GVSU

#24

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #24, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oakland University is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 18 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $7,751 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at Oakland

#25

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 28 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $11,316 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at EIU

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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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