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2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

200 Ranked Colleges
1,307 Degrees Awarded
$28,900 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master's For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Getting Aid” 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The sociology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Master’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid.

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

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Yale is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Yale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Yale are $44,500, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Yale University Sociology Report

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#24 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 14 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248.

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

#3

Hunter College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter are $20,828, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Sociology at Hunter

#4

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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #4 spot on the list. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Harvard University Sociology Report

#5

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Princeton, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton University are $56,470, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at Princeton University

#6

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

Stanford University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees 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. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011.

Read full report on Sociology at Stanford University

Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UW Seattle is in the top on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294.

Read more about Sociology at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUDH is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Dominguez Hills are $17,884.

Read more about Sociology at CSUDH

#9

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 2 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at University of Florida

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Sociology Report

#11

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 25% in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 7 masters’s sociology degrees 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.

Full Purdue Sociology Report

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. UT Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley are $15,151.

Read more about Sociology at UT Rio Grande Valley

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 11 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Northridge are $17,955, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at CSUN

#23 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at UW - Madison

Texas A&M International University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized public school situated in Laredo, Texas. It awarded 1 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M International University, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M International University are $15,106, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at Texas A&M International University

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 12 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State Fullerton are $17,892, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at Cal State Fullerton

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UIUC is in the top on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Sociology Report

Top 20% in overall quality

University of California - Irvine landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 8 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UC Irvine also did well on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Irvine are $28,456, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UC Irvine Sociology Report

Top 25% in overall quality

Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Brigham Young University - Provo is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at BYU are $7,510.

Read full report on Sociology at Brigham Young University - Provo

#20

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Brooklyn College is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Brooklyn College are $20,952, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Brooklyn College Sociology Report

#21

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#16 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 11 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 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 UCLA are $28,131.

Read full report on Sociology at UCLA

#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 25 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 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 Columbia are $51,194.

Read full report on Sociology at Columbia

#23

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

With a ranking of #23, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Central Florida is located in Orlando, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UCF are $28,657, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UCF Sociology Report

#24

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
Top 25% in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338.

Read full report on Sociology at IU Bloomington

#25

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina

Fayetteville State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fayetteville State University is located in Fayetteville, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Fayetteville State University are $16,830.

Full Fayetteville State University Sociology Report

Rest of the Best 31 in Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

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

#27

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#29

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#31

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

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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