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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (With Aid)

703 Ranked Colleges
29,435 Degrees Awarded
$7,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Sociology is the 20th most popular major in the country with 37,747 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 29,435 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 703 colleges that offer a degree in sociology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great sociology programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the sociology program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (With Aid)

#1

Hunter College

New York, New York
Top 25% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Located in New York, New York, this large public school handed out 217 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $2,490 for Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Hunter College Sociology Report

Out of the 703 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 452 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,768 for Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Sociology Report

#3

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lehman College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Bronx, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 250 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,814 for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid per year to attend Lehman College.

Read more about Sociology at Lehman College

Top 10% in overall quality

Out of the 703 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 168 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also claimed a top spot on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. It costs about $13,297 for Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid per year to attend UW Seattle.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Sociology at UW Seattle

#5

Queens College

Queens, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Queens College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. QC is a public institution located in Queens, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 205 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Queens College is $3,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 more about Sociology at Queens College

#6

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#4 in overall quality

Yale University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Haven, Connecticut. It awarded 19 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Yale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Yale is $17,549 for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The 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 Yale University Sociology Report

#7

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 10% in overall quality

University of Florida came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 161 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $6,302 for Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Sociology at UF

#8

Baruch College

New York, New York

Baruch College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Baruch is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 15 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Baruch is $3,562 for Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Sociology at Baruch

#8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 10% in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 93 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill excels when it comes to sociology quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $12,352 for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#10

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

Harvard University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $15,386 for Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Harvard University

John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,532 for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid per year to attend John Jay.

Read more about Sociology at John Jay

#12

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. The City College of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend The City College of New York is $2,385 for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid.

Read full report on Sociology at The City College of New York

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 246 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $4,215 for Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#14

York College

Jamaica, New York

York College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. York College is a medium-sized public school situated in Jamaica, New York. It awarded 58 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,433 for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid per year to attend York.

Read more about Sociology at York

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 51 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,514 for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at UT Rio Grande Valley

#16

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#8 in overall quality

Princeton University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Princeton is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 31 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Princeton is $11,317 for Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 Princeton University

California State University - Fullerton came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 382 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,991 for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Cal State Fullerton

Texas A&M International University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Laredo, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M International University is $3,074 for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid.

Full Texas A&M International University Sociology Report

#19

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 779 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,279 for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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.

Read full report on Sociology at UCLA

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UT Permian Basin is a public institution located in Odessa, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UT Permian Basin is $10,092 for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid.

Read full report on Sociology at UT Permian Basin

Top 10% in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 90 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU also claimed a top spot on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The 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 more about Sociology at BYU

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 142 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,464 for Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, 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 87%.

Full California State University - Fresno Sociology Report

California State University - Northridge came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 531 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $8,414 for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid per year to attend CSUN.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at California State University - Northridge

#24

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 15% in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 95 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Purdue also did well on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Purdue University - Main Campus

#25

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#7 in overall quality

Stanford University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 16 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid list, Stanford has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,496 for bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid per year to attend Stanford.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Stanford Sociology Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#32

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#33

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York
#36

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#38

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
#39

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts
#39

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#42

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#43

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#45

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
#46

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana
#47

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
#49

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

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

Rank College Location
51 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
52 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
53 Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC
54 The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX
55 Rice University Houston, TX
56 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
57 Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA
58 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
59 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
60 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
61 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH
62 The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX
63 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
64 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
65 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
Rank College Location
66 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
67 University of Wisconsin - Parkside Kenosha, WI
68 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Stevens Point, WI
69 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
70 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY
71 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
72 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
73 Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC
74 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
75 Rhode Island College Providence, RI
75 Shepherd University Shepherdstown, WV
77 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
78 McNeese State University Lake Charles, LA
79 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
80 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
81 Texas Woman’s University Denton, TX
82 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN
83 University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO
84 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
85 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
86 University of Georgia Athens, GA
87 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
88 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
89 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
90 Iowa State University Ames, IA
Rank College Location
91 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
92 University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC
93 Duke University Durham, NC
94 California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA
95 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
96 Colby College Waterville, ME
97 East Central University Ada, OK
98 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA
99 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
100 Southeastern Oklahoma State University Durant, OK
101 Michigan State University East Lansing, MI
102 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
103 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
104 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
105 The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX
106 SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY

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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