Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Sociology

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

103 Ranked Colleges
2,819 Degrees Awarded
$14,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

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

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 Getting Aid” 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Sociology Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

#1

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#8 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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 95 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Full Purdue Sociology Report

#6 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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid 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 $17,708 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid per year to attend UW - Madison.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full UW - Madison Sociology Report

#7 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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 65 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Sociology at UIUC

#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 52 bachelors’s sociology degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at UW - La Crosse

#5

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University Northwest. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 43 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue Northwest is $11,250 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

Read full report on Sociology at Purdue University Northwest

#6

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Richmond, Indiana, this small public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IU East is $7,722 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

Full Indiana University - East Sociology Report

#7

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#19 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 40 students 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 $13,253 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Sociology at IU Bloomington

#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 139 bachelors’s 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 U-M is $15,336 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid.

Read more about Sociology at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is a small public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 22 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,327 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

#11

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, 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 Getting Aid list. UW - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 97 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

Read more about Sociology at UW - Stevens Point

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 66 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at University of Illinois at Chicago

#13

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 15 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#14

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

Michigan State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $19,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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 full report on Sociology at Michigan State

#15

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #15, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

Full Northern Illinois University Sociology Report

#16

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

With a ranking of #16, Indiana University - South Bend did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in South Bend, Indiana, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - South Bend is $8,717 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

Full Indiana University - South Bend Sociology Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid per year to attend UWM.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

#17

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 38 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

Full Ball State University Sociology Report

With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid.

Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Sociology Report

#20

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Saint Xavier University is $14,528 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid.

Read more about Sociology at Saint Xavier University

#21

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #21, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

Read more about Sociology at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#21

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid.

Read more about Sociology at EIU

#23

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. USI is a fairly large school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 11 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USI is $13,437 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Southern Indiana Sociology Report

#24

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University - Southeast is a small public school situated in New Albany, Indiana. It awarded 9 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Southeast.

Read more about Sociology at Indiana University - Southeast

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 30 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,285 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students with aid per year to attend IUPUI.

Full IUPUI Sociology Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Political and Social Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You