Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Sociology

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region

29 Ranked Colleges
194 Degrees Awarded
$25,200 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master's in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 37,747 people earned their degree in sociology, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,219 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 194 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 29 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in sociology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality sociology programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the sociology program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Sociology Schools

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 in the Great Lakes Region” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree sociology students.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Sociology in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 7 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois State are $11,069, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Sociology at Illinois State University

#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree sociology students list, SIUE has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are $9,300, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at SIUE

#14 in overall quality

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Bowling Green, Ohio. It awarded 11 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BGSU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus are $15,823, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Sociology Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. 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 UW - Madison Sociology Report

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 3 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at NIU are $11,086, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at Northern Illinois University

#6

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

Western Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. WIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 5 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Western Illinois University are $11,996.

Full WIU Sociology Report

#7

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 6 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago also took the #12 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Loyola University Chicago are $19,154, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at Loyola University Chicago

#8

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 7 degrees to qualified masters’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree sociology students list, Purdue has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Purdue Sociology Report

#20 in overall quality

Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

OHIO Athens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio University - Athens Campus are $17,712.

Read full report on Sociology at Ohio University - Athens Campus

#10

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

DePaul University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 11 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul University are $19,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Sociology at DePaul

#6 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 5 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#11 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #11 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Chicago are $27,036.

Read more about Sociology at University of Illinois at Chicago

#13

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#19 in overall quality

Ball State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

Ball State also made our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ball State are $26,204, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Ball State Sociology Report

University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Akron, Ohio that handed out 2 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 University of Akron Main Campus are $15,217.

Read more about Sociology at University of Akron Main Campus

#15

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#9 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also took the #9 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Bloomington are $33,338, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at IU Bloomington

#16 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UC is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 4 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC also made our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus are $26,644, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis are $26,013, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Sociology Report

#18

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

Western Michigan University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WMU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at WMU are $31,355, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Sociology at WMU

#19

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. Roosevelt University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 2 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 Roosevelt are $21,605.

Read full report on Sociology at Roosevelt

#8 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 9 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State University - Main Campus are $37,141, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#21

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

Michigan State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 2 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also made our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State are $37,056, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Michigan State University Sociology Report

#22

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio

University of Toledo landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Toledo is a fairly large school located in Toledo, Ohio that handed out 6 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 University of Toledo are $27,067.

Full University of Toledo Sociology Report

#22 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 2 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are $32,928, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Sociology Report

#24

Wayne State University

Detroit, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

Wayne State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Wayne State University is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree sociology students list, Wayne State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Wayne State University are $37,215.

Read full report on Sociology at Wayne State University

#25

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#4 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 15 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also made our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full U-M 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