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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology in the Great Lakes Region

21 Ranked Colleges
127 Degrees Awarded
$32,700 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region

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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,143 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 127 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $74,305 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in sociology. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in sociology.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region

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

Top 21 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology in the Great Lakes Region

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 17 students 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Full UChicago Sociology Report

2

Out of the 21 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Bowling Green, Ohio, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Sociology at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Akron Main Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Akron, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Sociology at University of Akron Main Campus

4

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 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on Sociology at University of Wisconsin - Madison

5
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Notre Dame. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 University of Notre Dame

6
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Sociology at IU Bloomington

7
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Sociology at Northwestern University

8
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Loyola University Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Sociology at Loyola Chicago

9

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Sociology Report

10

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 2 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Sociology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

11

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 UIC

12

Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Case Western is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Case Western

13

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

Full U-M Sociology Report

14

Kent State University at Kent ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent State is a large public school situated in Kent, Ohio. It awarded 3 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Sociology at Kent State University at Kent

15
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #15, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Purdue Sociology Report

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Sociology at UWM

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Sociology Report

18
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. Western Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 1 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Sociology at Western Michigan University

19
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Sociology at Michigan State University

20
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Wayne State is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 1 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Sociology at Wayne State University

21

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Sociology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 1 doctorate’s sociology degrees 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at UIUC

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