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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $30-$48k)

200 Ranked Colleges
1,307 Degrees Awarded
$43,400 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master's For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s 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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,307 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 200 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.

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 Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Duke is located in Durham, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our master’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Duke has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Duke are $59,140.

Read full report on Sociology at Duke University

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at Stanford University

#3

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 200 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Harvard also took the #5 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654.

Full Harvard Sociology Report

#4

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 200 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 11 degrees to qualified masters’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Yale has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale are $44,500, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Sociology at Yale

#5

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 9 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567.

Full Northwestern Sociology Report

#6

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at University of Pennsylvania

#7

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#7 in overall quality

Princeton University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton also took the #7 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Princeton University Sociology Report

#3 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194.

Full Columbia Sociology Report

#9

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#21 in overall quality

Rice University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Houston, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Rice also made our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #21. Average graduate tuition and fees at Rice University are $47,913, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Sociology at Rice

#10

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#12 in overall quality

Brown University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified masters’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Brown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brown University are $60,363, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at Brown

#11

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

University of Chicago came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our master’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UChicago has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548.

Read more about Sociology at University of Chicago

#12

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #0 rank in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425.

Read full report on Sociology at Johns Hopkins University

#13

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#13 in overall quality

Cornell University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

Cornell also made our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell University are $30,042.

Full Cornell Sociology Report

#14

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#20 in overall quality

Vanderbilt University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #20. Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt University are $50,624, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at Vanderbilt

#15

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#19 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, U-M has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#23 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison also took the #23 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Sociology Report

#17

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#18 in overall quality

Boston College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Boston College also took the #18 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston College are $31,930, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at Boston College

#18

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at UF

#19

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#10 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified masters’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Notre Dame are $57,522, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Notre Dame

#20

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#24 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 14 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#21

Hunter College

New York, New York

With a ranking of #21, Hunter College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Hunter is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter are $20,828, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Sociology at Hunter College

#22

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794.

Read more about Sociology at Purdue

#23

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
Top 20% in overall quality

Northeastern University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northeastern University is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 8 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern excels when it comes to sociology quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern University are $25,558, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Sociology at Northeastern

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 5 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also claimed a top spot on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UW Seattle Sociology Report

#25

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347.

Full University of California - Berkeley Sociology Report

Rest of the Best 31 in Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#28

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#29

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

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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