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2025 Best Sociology Master's Degree Schools

37 Colleges in the United States
1,358 Master's Degrees
$55,730 Avg Early-Career Salary
Sociology is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #94 most popular master's degree program in the country. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 37 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Sociology Master's Degree Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,358 master's degrees in sociology during the <nil> academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Sociology School for Your Master's Degree

Best Sociology Master's Degree Schools The sociology master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for sociology students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Sociology Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Sociology Master's Degree Schools ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Sociology in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in sociology.

10 Top Schools for a Master's in Sociology

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
14 Annual Graduates

Stanford University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a master's degree in sociology. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Stanford.More information about a master’s in sociology from Stanford University

2
27 Annual Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in sociology has to check out Columbia University in the City of New York. Located in the large city of New York, Columbia is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from Columbia University in the City of New York

3
21 Annual Graduates

University of California - Berkeley is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in sociology. UC Berkeley is a very large public university located in the city of Berkeley.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of California - Berkeley

4
14 Annual Graduates

University of California - Los Angeles is a good option for individuals interested in a master's degree in sociology. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of California - Los Angeles

5
10 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of Chicago

6
13 Annual Graduates

U-M is a very large public university located in the city of Ann Arbor.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

7
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
25 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from New York University

8
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
13 Annual Graduates

Princeton is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Princeton.More information about a master’s in sociology from Princeton University

9
10 Annual Graduates

Ohio State is a very large public university located in the city of Columbus.More information about a master’s in sociology from Ohio State University - Main Campus

10
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
10 Annual Graduates

Iowa is a fairly large public university located in the city of Iowa City.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of Iowa

Sociology by Region

View the Best Sociology Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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Sociology is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

Sociology Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Sociology 1,319
Applied/Public Sociology 39

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 5,317
International Relations & National Security 5,262
Political Science & Government 2,000
General Social Sciences 1,618
Geography & Cartography 1,193
Anthropology 1,028
Urban Studies 327
Other Social Sciences 315
Archeology 52
Demography & Population Studies 46

Notes and References

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