by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in Rural Sociology will empower you with the ability to improve the quality of life of thousands of people living in rural communities. This major looks at how groups, organizations, and societies are structured in rural areas. The curriculum focuses on the structure and function of rural societies including problems specific to those areas. An important focus is the economics of farm production with a focus in agribusiness and production agriculture.
Rural Sociology can be broken into three different facets: rural issues including social equality, the application of sociology to decision making, and global environmental systems. Some classes you will take are: community development, rural poverty, environmental sociology, and sociology of agriculture.
Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of rural sociology programs later in this article.
First things first, you should have a desire to make meaningful and positive impact to rural communities. It helps to be familiar with the social and economic processes that impact rural America. A career in this field requires a solid understanding of how changes in demographics, health care, education, and business impacts rural populations.
More importantly, you must have analytical skills to think abstractly, analyze situations and data, and make presentations that are sociologically informed. You will be asked to understand issues from an integrated global perspective, so it is important to have a cross-cultural understanding. Other skills needed for a career in Rural Sociology include: interpersonal strengths, the ability to communicate clearly, and leadership qualities.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most rural sociology degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. Specific rural sociology careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to rural sociology, with approximately 34.2% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for rural sociology workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 33.4% |
| Doctoral Degree | 33.0% |
| Master’s Degree | 27.2% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 1.7% |
| High School Diploma | 1.6% |
60.6% of rural sociology workers have at least a master's. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in rural sociology careers have.
The education level required is different depending on the rural sociology career you are seeking.
An undergraduate degree of Rural Sociology is a practical major with many different career options. Most rural sociologist job requires direct communication with public, with a particular focus on educating community members. Common job titles include: farm manager, community planner, commodity group representative, and youth programmer. A master's degree in Rural Sociology is usually the minimum requirement for a as a rural sociologist.
Want a job when you graduate with your rural sociology degree? Rural Sociology careers are expected to grow 8.0% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to rural sociology.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Managers | 1,071,700 | 8.0% |
| Sociology Professors | 19,600 | 9.5% |
| Social Sciences Professors | 16,800 | 9.8% |
| Sociologists | 3,500 | 0.0% |
As you might expect, salaries for rural sociology graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for rural sociology graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers rural sociology grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Managers | $115,590 |
| Sociologists | $90,290 |
| Social Sciences Professors | $87,950 |
| Sociology Professors | $83,310 |
Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased rural sociology school rankings to help you with this.
Rural Sociology is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Economics | 47,809 |
| Political Science & Government | 47,686 |
| Sociology | 35,816 |
| General Social Sciences | 17,338 |
| International Relations & National Security | 13,958 |
Image Credit: By U.S. National Archives and Records Administration under License More about our data sources and methodologies.