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2023 Best Value Colleges for Sociology (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

52 Ranked Colleges
1,248 Degrees Awarded
$11,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 38,475 people earned their degree in sociology, making the major the 25th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, sociology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,426 and had an average of $24,587 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 1,248 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,845 and $26,072 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 52 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Sociology (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

1
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Washington University in St Louis. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 26 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

WUSTL also took the #1 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington University in St Louis is $1,556 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full WUSTL Sociology Report

2

Out of the 52 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 110 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,698 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Full UMN Twin Cities Sociology Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Morris. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Morris, Minnesota, and it awarded 4 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Morris did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Morris is $3,941 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at UMN Morris

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 37 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $9,766 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Sociology at Iowa State University

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UMN Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

UMN Duluth also made our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $7,843 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 more about Sociology at UMN Duluth

6
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa

Grinnell College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Grinnell, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Grinnell, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,835 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grinnell College.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 full report on Sociology at Grinnell

7

University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 50 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $11,005 for plains states region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Sociology at Mizzou

8
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Macalester College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Macalester College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Macalester not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $13,926 for plains states region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Macalester College.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Read more about Sociology at Macalester

9

North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, North Dakota State University has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $11,835 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 more about Sociology at North Dakota State University

10
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 32 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UND, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UND is $12,394 for plains states region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UND Sociology Report

11
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. University of Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 36 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $13,554 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Iowa

12

University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. UNL is a large school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 41 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

UNL also took the #10 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $11,672 for plains states region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Sociology Report

13
UNI crest
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $10,513 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNI.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Sociology at UNI

14
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

With a ranking of #14, Truman State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Truman State University is a small public school situated in Kirksville, Missouri. It awarded 22 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,208 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Truman State.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Truman State University

15

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Minnesota State Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 15 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

Minnesota State Mankato not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $11,692 for plains states region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State University - Mankato Sociology Report

16
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Kansas State University is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 69 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

K -State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kansas State University is $13,436 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at K -State

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 25 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $10,578 for plains states region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNOMAHA.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Sociology Report

18
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

With a ranking of #18, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 28 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, KU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kansas is $15,666 for plains states region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Kansas

19
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

South Dakota State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. South Dakota State University is located in Brookings, South Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

South Dakota State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,171 for plains states region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend South Dakota State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full South Dakota State University Sociology Report

20

University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.

UMKC also made our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City is $12,724 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at UMKC

21
St. Cloud State University crest
Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, Minnesota

With a ranking of #21, Saint Cloud State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. St. Cloud State University is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. It awarded 18 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $10,348 for plains states region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at St. Cloud State University

22
Gustavus Adolphus crest
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota

With a ranking of #22, Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, and it awarded 11 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gustavus Adolphus, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,735 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Gustavus Adolphus.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Sociology at Gustavus Adolphus

23
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. UMSL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 9 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,991 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMSL.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 more about Sociology at University of Missouri - St Louis

24

With a ranking of #24, Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Missouri State is a large public school situated in Springfield, Missouri. It awarded 31 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State University - Springfield is $12,381 for plains states region sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Missouri State Sociology Report

25

Minnesota State University - Moorhead ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. MSU Moorhead is located in Moorhead, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend MSU Moorhead is $12,675 for Plains States Region Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State University - Moorhead Sociology Report

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