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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

103 Ranked Colleges
2,838 Degrees Awarded
$8,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 $30-$48k” 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.

This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 103 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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 Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 29 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $3,995 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.

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

Read more about Sociology at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 103 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 31 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $2,800 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UChicago.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Chicago

Out of the 103 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 139 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Sociology at U-M

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $6,860 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 95%.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#5

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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. It costs about $15,609 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Notre Dame.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Notre Dame Sociology Report

#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 95 students in 2019-2020.

Purdue also took the #8 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,879 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Sociology at Purdue University - Main Campus

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $8,464 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Sociology Report

#8

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 40 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $6,192 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 Indiana University - Bloomington

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 87 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $10,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Sociology at Ohio State

#10

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point 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 $30-$48k ranking. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 97 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point also took the #24 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $11,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Sociology at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#11

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #11, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - La Crosse has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,795 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Sociology Report

#12

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,124 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k 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 UW - River Falls

#13

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

With a ranking of #13, Indiana University - East did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Richmond, Indiana, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend IU East is $5,002 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at IU East

#14

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, Indiana

Purdue University Northwest landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Purdue University Northwest is a medium-sized school located in Hammond, Indiana that handed out 43 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Purdue University Northwest is $8,401 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at Purdue University Northwest

University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,018 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

#16

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $12,156 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Sociology at UW - Whitewater

#17

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College 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 $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,628 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Beloit College.

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 excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Beloit Sociology Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,938 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Full SIUE Sociology Report

#19

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

Indiana University - South Bend came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Indiana University - South Bend is a small public school situated in South Bend, Indiana. It awarded 4 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $5,057 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at Indiana University - South Bend

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 30 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $6,315 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Sociology at IUPUI

University of Illinois at Chicago 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 $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 66 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $11,185 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full UIC Sociology Report

#22

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

It costs about $15,861 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NIU.

Read more about Sociology at NIU

#23

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Grand Valley State University is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $12,459 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive 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 GVSU

#24

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $7,751 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Sociology at Oakland University

#25

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend EIU is $11,316 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full EIU Sociology Report

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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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