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2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

103 Ranked Colleges
2,838 Degrees Awarded
$7,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 37,807 people earned their degree in sociology, making the major the 24th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, sociology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,727 and had an average of $23,622 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 3,239 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,473 and $25,310 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,838 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 103 colleges that offer a degree in sociology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent sociology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the sociology program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Sociology Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.

Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $1,866 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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.

Full Northwestern University Sociology Report

#2

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 #2 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $2,712 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 University of Chicago

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 139 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $3,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Sociology at U-M

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 97 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Madison Sociology Report

Out of the 103 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 65 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $5,477 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 students.

Read more about Sociology at UIUC

#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #6, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 95 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $5,483 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Purdue

#7

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 35 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also took the #3 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Notre Dame is $12,498 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sociology at Notre Dame

#8

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also took the #19 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,969 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Indiana University - Bloomington

#9

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 91 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Michigan State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.

Read full report on Sociology at Michigan State

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 87 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,194 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sociology at Ohio State

#11

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also took the #14 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,939 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Sociology at UW - La Crosse

#12

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW - Stevens Point Sociology Report

#13

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oberlin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oberlin, Ohio. It awarded 15 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Oberlin has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oberlin.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Sociology at Oberlin College

#14

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

With a ranking of #14, Purdue University Northwest did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Hammond, Indiana. It awarded 43 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,911 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.

Full Purdue Northwest Sociology Report

#15

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Sociology Report

#16

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana University - East is located in Richmond, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,622 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU East.

Full Indiana University - East Sociology Report

#17

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

The 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 University of Wisconsin - River Falls

University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Kenosha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $6,652 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Parkside Sociology Report

#19

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Evansville, Indiana, this fairly large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USI is $8,244 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at University of Southern Indiana

#20

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Beloit College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Beloit, Wisconsin. It awarded 19 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Beloit is $8,574 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Beloit

#21

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. South Bend, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,641 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - South Bend.

Read more about Sociology at Indiana University - South Bend

#22

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school awarded 38 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,403 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ball State.

Full Ball State Sociology Report

With a ranking of #23, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $8,055 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Sociology at SIUE

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $5,052 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Sociology at IUPUI

#25

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 72 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Sociology at NIU

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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

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees 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

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Kontos.

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