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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology

121 Ranked Colleges
577 Degrees Awarded
$32,100 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Sociology is the 20th most popular major in the country with 38,394 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 577 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major” ranking looked at 121 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in sociology. That schools that top this list have a program in sociology in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree sociology students.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology

1
The Graduate Center crest
The Graduate Center, CUNY
New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The Graduate Center, CUNY. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major list. Located in New York, New York, this medium-sized public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Read more about Sociology at The Graduate Center, CUNY

2
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major list. Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Princeton University

3
Howard crest
Howard University
Washington, District of Columbia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Howard University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Sociology at Howard

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Francisco. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major list. UCSF is a small school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 3 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Sociology at UCSF

5
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 17 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Sociology at UChicago

6
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.

Read full report on Sociology at Stanford University

7
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut

Yale University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking, coming in at #7. This fairly large school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Yale

8

University of California - Merced came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Sociology at University of California - Merced

9
New School University crest
The New School
New York, New York

The New School came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking. New School University is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 5 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Sociology at New School University

10
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Cornell Sociology Report

11

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking. BGSU is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 7 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Sociology at BGSU

12
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Vanderbilt University Sociology Report

13

University of Akron Main Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Akron Main Campus

14
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

With a ranking of #14, Emory University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major list. Emory is a fairly large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 7 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Sociology at Emory

15

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 22 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at University of Wisconsin - Madison

16
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking, coming in at #16. This fairly large school is located in Brookings, South Dakota, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full South Dakota State Sociology Report

17
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 5 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Full Notre Dame Sociology Report

18
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #18, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major list. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad 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%.

Full IU Bloomington Sociology Report

19
Binghamton University crest
Binghamton University
Vestal, New York

Binghamton University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking. Binghamton University is a fairly large school located in Vestal, New York that handed out 6 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad 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 Binghamton University

20

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 85%.

Read full report on Sociology at University of California - Santa Cruz

21
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking. Brown is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Brown University Sociology Report

22
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 Northwestern

23

University of Alabama at Birmingham landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major ranking. UAB is located in Birmingham, Alabama and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

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 4.8% 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%.

Read more about Sociology at UAB

24

Texas Woman’s University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major list. Texas Woman’s University is located in Denton, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Sociology at Texas Woman’s University

25

With a ranking of #25, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at UC Irvine

Notes and References

References

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