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2023 Best Value Colleges for Sociology

570 Ranked Colleges
38,394 Degrees Awarded
$12,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Sociology Schools” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 38,394 people earned their degree in sociology, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools” ranking analyzed 570 colleges that offered 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

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Sociology Schools” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Sociology Schools

The colleges and universities below are the best for sociology students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Sociology

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Sociology Schools. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 113 degrees to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, BYU is in the top on our “Best Sociology Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Sociology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $13,474 for sociology students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Sociology at BYU

2
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools list. South Dakota State University is located in Brookings, South Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State University is $18,578 for Sociology students.

The low undergrad 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 full report on Sociology at South Dakota State University

3
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

Out of the 570 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, American Public University System landed the #3 spot on the list. Charles Town, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 104 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,563 for sociology students per year to attend American Public University System.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Sociology at American Public University System

4
5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools list. North Dakota State University is located in Fargo, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University is $16,998 for sociology students.

The undergrad 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 more about Sociology at North Dakota State University

6
Top 25% in overall quality
$48,067 Average Early-Career Earnings

Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools ranking, coming in at #6. Scottsdale, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 281 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Arizona State University - Skysong

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools list. UW - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,417 for sociology students per year to attend UW - Whitewater.

Read more about Sociology at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

8

Brigham Young University - Idaho ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools list. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 56 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Idaho is $6,698 for sociology students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Brigham Young University - Idaho

9
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

With a ranking of #9, Hunter College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 248 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $2,158 for Sociology students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Hunter

10

Central New Mexico Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools ranking, coming in at #10. This fairly large school is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and it awarded 129 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CNM is $3,322 for sociology students.

Read full report on Sociology at Central New Mexico Community College

11
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University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools ranking. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 32 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UND is $16,966 for sociology students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at UND

12

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools ranking. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $13,844 for sociology students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Full UW - River Falls Sociology Report

13
OCU crest
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma City University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools list. Oklahoma City University is a small school located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that handed out 9 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $22,910 for sociology students per year to attend OCU.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad 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 OCU

14

With a ranking of #14, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 27 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,462 for sociology students.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Sociology Report

15

With a ranking of #15, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools list. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 80 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend NIU is $13,956 for sociology students.

Read more about Sociology at Northern Illinois University

16
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Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools ranking, coming in at #16. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 169 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State is also in the top of our “Best Sociology Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $9,946 for sociology students per year to attend Florida State University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Sociology at Florida State

17

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools ranking, coming in at #17. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 43 degrees to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,654 for Sociology students 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 undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Sociology Report

18

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools list. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 90 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,346 for Sociology students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Read more about Sociology at UW - Stevens Point

19
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York
Top 5% in overall quality
$61,344 Average Early-Career Earnings

With a ranking of #19, The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools list. This medium-sized school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 54 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, The Graduate Center is also in the top of our “Best Sociology Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Sociology Schools” list.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Sociology at The Graduate Center

20

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools ranking. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 70 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,346 for sociology students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at University of South Florida - Main Campus

21
QC crest
Queens College
Queens, New York

Queens College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools list. QC is located in Queens, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 180 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Queens College is $3,469 for sociology students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at QC

22

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools ranking, coming in at #22. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 39 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,051 for Sociology students.

Full UW - Eau Claire Sociology Report

23

With a ranking of #23, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools list. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Iowa State is also in the top of our “Best Sociology Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $16,002 for Sociology students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Iowa State University

24

California State University - Northridge came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools ranking. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 499 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,523 for Sociology students per year to attend CSUN.

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

Full CSUN Sociology Report

25

California State University - Long Beach came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 308 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, CSULB is in the top on our “Best Sociology Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,054 for sociology students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at CSULB

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Sociology Schools

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

26
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Park University
Parkville, Missouri
27
28
29
30
31
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University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
32
33
34
35
36
37
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Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California
38
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Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan
39
39
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Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana
41
42
43
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Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
44
45
46
47
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Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona
48
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University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
49
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Sociology Schools

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

RankCollegeLocation
51University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
52Eastern Illinois UniversityCharleston, IL
53University of MemphisMemphis, TN
54Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
55Central Michigan UniversityMount Pleasant, MI
56San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
57University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro, NC
58Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA
59The University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX
60Minnesota State University - MoorheadMoorhead, MN
61California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
62Teachers College at Columbia UniversityNew York, NY
63University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI
64Sonoma State UniversityRohnert Park, CA
65University of Wisconsin - ParksideKenosha, WI
RankCollegeLocation
66Oklahoma State University - Main CampusStillwater, OK
67California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
68California State University - ChicoChico, CA
69California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
70Arkansas State University - Main CampusJonesboro, AR
71California State University - StanislausTurlock, CA
71Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg, PA
73The City College of New YorkNew York, NY
74Winona State UniversityWinona, MN
75Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS
75Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main CampusIndiana, PA
75San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
78Columbia CollegeColumbia, MO
78University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT
80Utah State UniversityLogan, UT
81University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL
82California State University - Channel IslandsCamarillo, CA
83University of North Carolina at PembrokePembroke, NC
84Saint Cloud State UniversitySaint Cloud, MN
84Southern Illinois University CarbondaleCarbondale, IL
86The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX

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