2023 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology
121
Ranked Colleges
577
Degrees Awarded
$34,500
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate” ranking.
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 “Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate” ranking looked at 121 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in sociology. To top this list, a school must have a successful sociology program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 “Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate”.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree sociology students.
Top 29 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 22 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Sociology Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.
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%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Sociology at UChicago
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The Graduate Center, CUNY. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate list. The Graduate Center, CUNY is a medium-sized public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 14 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Full The Graduate Center, CUNY Sociology Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 13 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Sociology at Indiana University - Bloomington
Out of the 121 schools in the Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #4 spot on the list. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 13 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at Texas A&M College Station
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Sociology at Cornell
University of California - Irvine ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Sociology at UC Irvine
New York University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate ranking. NYU is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s degrees 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at New York University
University of California - Berkeley ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Sociology at University of California - Berkeley
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 11 diplomas 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Princeton University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate ranking. Princeton 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.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Sociology at Princeton
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate ranking. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 10 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 96%.
Read full report on Sociology at University of California - Los Angeles
Stanford University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 10 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Sociology at Stanford University
With a ranking of #11, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate list. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Arizona Sociology Report
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate ranking. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at University of Maryland - College Park
Yale University ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate list. Yale University is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 9 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Sociology at Yale
Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #15. 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 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Sociology at Northwestern
Howard University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate ranking. Howard is a fairly large school located in Washington, District of Columbia that handed out 9 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Howard University Sociology Report
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at UT Austin
University of Pennsylvania came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate ranking. UPenn is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 8 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Sociology at University of Pennsylvania
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate ranking. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 7 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Sociology Report
Virginia Tech ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate list. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 93%.
Read more about Sociology at Virginia Tech
University of Central Florida came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate ranking. UCF is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 7 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Sociology at UCF
With a ranking of #21, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 96%.
Read full report on Sociology at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
With a ranking of #21, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate list. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s sociology degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full North Carolina State University Sociology Report
Emory University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate list. Emory is a fairly large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 7 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
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 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Sociology at Emory University
University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 89%.
Read more about Sociology at Mizzou
Vanderbilt University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate ranking. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s sociology degrees to qualified students.
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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read more about Sociology at Vanderbilt
Georgia State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Sociology Major for a Doctorate ranking. Georgia State is a large public school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 7 doctorate’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Sociology at Georgia State University
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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
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