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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $0-$30k)

200 Ranked Colleges
1,311 Degrees Awarded
$43,600 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master's 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. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,311 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 200 colleges that offered a degree in sociology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great sociology programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the sociology program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Sociology Schools

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 “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Yale University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Yale University is a fairly large school located in New Haven, Connecticut that handed out 11 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Yale, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Yale University are $44,500.

Read full report on Sociology at Yale

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 18 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at Stanford

#3

Duke University

Durham, North Carolina
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Durham, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

Duke also took the #4 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Duke are $59,140.

Full Duke University Sociology Report

#4

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

UPenn also made our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UPenn Sociology Report

#5

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 9 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567.

Full Northwestern University Sociology Report

#6

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

Harvard University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654.

Full Harvard University Sociology Report

#7

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#7 in overall quality

Princeton University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Princeton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton University are $56,470.

Read full report on Sociology at Princeton

#8

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Brown University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Providence, Rhode Island, and it awarded 5 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brown are $60,363, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Sociology at Brown

#9

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

University of Chicago came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548.

Full University of Chicago Sociology Report

#10

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Sociology at Johns Hopkins

#11

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#19 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 15 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at U-M

#12

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 3 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624.

Full Vanderbilt Sociology Report

#13

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#13 in overall quality

Cornell University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 5 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also made our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell University are $30,042, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Cornell University Sociology Report

#14

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 2 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UF Sociology Report

#15

Rice University

Houston, Texas
#21 in overall quality

Rice University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rice University is located in Houston, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our master’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Rice has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Rice University are $47,913, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Rice University Sociology Report

#16

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#24 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified masters’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #24 spot in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Sociology at UNC Chapel Hill

#23 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 11 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523.

Read more about Sociology at UW - Madison

#3 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 25 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at Columbia

#19

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Hunter College is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 5 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Hunter College are $20,828.

Full Hunter Sociology Report

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s sociology degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UIUC is in the top on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Sociology at UIUC

#21

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#10 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 10 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame also made our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Notre Dame are $57,522, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Sociology at University of Notre Dame

#22

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our master’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Sociology at University of California - Berkeley

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 masters’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle excels when it comes to sociology quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Sociology Report

#24

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 7 degrees to qualified masters’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UMCP is in the top on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Sociology Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Maryland - College Park are $30,885, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Maryland - College Park

#25

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 7 masters’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Purdue Sociology Report

Rest of the Best 31 in Best Value Sociology Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#28

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
#29

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#30

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#31

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

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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