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2022 Best Value Colleges for Sociology (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts

32 Ranked Colleges
1,082 Degrees Awarded
$11,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Sociology is the 24th most popular major in the country with 37,807 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Massachusetts, there were 1,082 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,456 and $24,647 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 32 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the sociology program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 in Massachusetts 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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Sociology (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts

#1

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Williamstown, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

Williams also made our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $2,498 for Massachusetts Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Williams College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Williams College Sociology Report

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. Harvard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $2,973 for massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harvard.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Harvard Sociology Report

#3

Amherst College

Amherst, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Amherst College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $6,079 for Massachusetts Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Amherst College.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sociology at Amherst College

#4

Tufts University

Medford, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Tufts University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tufts University is a fairly large school located in Medford, Massachusetts that handed out 41 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Tufts also took the #3 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts is $5,267 for massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Tufts Sociology Report

#5

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Boston College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston College also made our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Boston College is $6,353 for Massachusetts Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Boston College

#6

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts

Wellesley College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wellesley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wellesley, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley is $8,785 for Massachusetts Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Wellesley

#7

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts

Smith College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Northampton, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 33 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Smith did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Smith College is $6,075 for massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Smith College

#8

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

Northeastern University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 44 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern also took the #10 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern is $10,239 for massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 more about Sociology at Northeastern University

#9

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #9, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U also took the #8 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $12,903 for massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Boston University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Sociology at Boston University

#10

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts

College of the Holy Cross came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. College of the Holy Cross is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 31 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Holy Cross did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Holy Cross is $15,036 for Massachusetts Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Sociology at Holy Cross

#11

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMass Amherst is a large public school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 118 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst also made our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $13,137 for massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMass Amherst.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at University of Massachusetts Amherst

#12

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Waltham, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brandeis, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brandeis University is $13,567 for Massachusetts Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Brandeis University Sociology Report

#13

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mount Holyoke College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mt. Holyoke is a small school located in South Hadley, Massachusetts that handed out 19 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Mt. Holyoke also made our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Mt. Holyoke is $12,063 for Massachusetts Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Mount Holyoke College Sociology Report

#14

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts

Westfield State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Westfield State University is a public institution located in Westfield, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Westfield has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Westfield State University is $12,672 for massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 more about Sociology at Westfield State University

#15

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

North Adams, Massachusetts

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is a public institution located in North Adams, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, MCLA has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MCLA is $12,587 for Massachusetts Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Sociology Report

#16

Worcester State University

Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Worcester State University is a medium-sized school located in Worcester, Massachusetts that handed out 53 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Worcester State is $16,011 for massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Sociology at Worcester State University

#17

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Lowell ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lowell, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,560 for massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 more about Sociology at University of Massachusetts - Lowell

#18

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Bridgewater State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bridgewater State University is a public institution located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bridgewater State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $13,332 for Massachusetts Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bridgewater State.

Full Bridgewater State University Sociology Report

#19

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, Massachusetts

Fitchburg State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fitchburg State University is a public institution located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,770 for Massachusetts Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fitchburg State University.

Read more about Sociology at Fitchburg State University

#20

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. UMass Boston is a public institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 86 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMass Boston has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Boston is $13,859 for massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UMass Boston Sociology Report

#21

Framingham State University

Framingham, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #21, Framingham State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Framingham State is a small school located in Framingham, Massachusetts that handed out 37 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,612 for massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Framingham State.

Read full report on Sociology at Framingham State

#22

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts

Salem State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Salem State is a medium-sized public school situated in Salem, Massachusetts. It awarded 17 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Salem State University is $14,593 for massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Sociology at Salem State University

#23

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts

Wheaton College Massachusetts ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Norton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 23 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Massachusetts also took the #14 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Massachusetts is $20,511 for massachusetts sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Sociology at Wheaton College Massachusetts

#24

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. North Dartmouth, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,925 for Massachusetts Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth.

Full University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth Sociology Report

#25

Clark University

Worcester, Massachusetts

Clark University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Clark University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Worcester, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,734 for Massachusetts Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Clark.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 more about Sociology at Clark University

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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