by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 176 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for sociology students pursuing a master's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,298 master's degrees in sociology to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
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 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.
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.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for sociology students working on their master's degree.
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.
Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in sociology. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Stanford University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in sociology. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Stanford.More information about a master’s in sociology from Stanford University
Every student who is interested in a master's degree in sociology needs to look into Yale University. Located in the medium-sized city of New Haven, Yale is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from Yale University
Teachers College at Columbia University is a wonderful decision for individuals interested in a master's degree in sociology. Located in the large city of New York, Teachers College is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.
Those sociology students who get their master's degree from Teachers College at Columbia University make $21,197 more than the average sociology graduate.
More information about a master’s in sociology from Teachers College at Columbia University
Any student who is interested in a master's degree in sociology needs to check out Columbia University in the City of New York. Located in the 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
Rice is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Houston.More information about a master’s in sociology from Rice University
Harvard is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Cambridge.More information about a master’s in sociology from Harvard University
Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Evanston.More information about a master’s in sociology from Northwestern University
Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from Duke University
Princeton is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Princeton.More information about a master’s in sociology from Princeton University
Located in the city of Philadelphia, UPenn is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of Pennsylvania
Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of Notre Dame
Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Nashville.More information about a master’s in sociology from Vanderbilt University
Johns Hopkins is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Baltimore.More information about a master’s in sociology from Johns Hopkins University
Located in the city of New York, NYU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from New York University
UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of California - Berkeley
Cornell is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Ithaca.More information about a master’s in sociology from Cornell University
Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of Chicago
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
Located in the large city of New York, The Graduate Center is a public school with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from The Graduate Center, CUNY
Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of Wisconsin - Madison
Located in the city of Atlanta, Emory is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from Emory University
Located in the midsize city of Providence, Brown is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a master’s in sociology from Brown University
University of Virginia is a fairly large public university located in the small suburb of Charlottesville.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of Virginia - Main Campus
U-M is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
UMCP is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of College Park.More information about a master’s in sociology from University of Maryland - College Park
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Sociology Master's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | University of California - Davis | Davis, CA |
| 28 | University of California - Irvine | Irvine, CA |
| 28 | Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA |
| 29 | University of California - San Diego | La Jolla, CA |
| 30 | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Amherst, MA |
| 31 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN |
| 32 | Purdue University - Main Campus | West Lafayette, IN |
| 33 | Boston College | Chestnut Hill, MA |
| 34 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL |
| 35 | Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, OH |
View the Best Sociology Master's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
Sociology is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Sociology | 1,289 |
| Applied/Public Sociology | 9 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Economics | 4,803 |
| International Relations & National Security | 4,426 |
| Political Science & Government | 1,936 |
| Geography & Cartography | 1,076 |
| Anthropology | 941 |
| General Social Sciences | 596 |
| Other Social Sciences | 378 |
| Urban Studies | 351 |
| Demography & Population Studies | 51 |
| Archeology | 48 |
