2023 Best Value Colleges for Sociology in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
79
Ranked Colleges
3,166
Degrees Awarded
$14,800
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Sociology is the 25th most popular major in the country with 38,475 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 Great Lakes region, there were 3,166 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,085 and $25,610 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 79 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the sociology program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region sociology students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Sociology in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Out of the 79 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #1 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 152 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Sociology Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 119 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,377 for great lakes region sociology students with aid per year to attend Purdue.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full Purdue Sociology Report
Out of the 79 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #3 spot on the list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also took the #10 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for great lakes region sociology students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Sociology Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 75 students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for great lakes region sociology students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 155 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region sociology students with aid list, U-M has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $14,878 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 96%.
Read full report on Sociology at U-M
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 81 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
UIC also took the #15 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,214 for great lakes region sociology students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Sociology at University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 55 degrees to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Whitewater, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $14,417 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students with aid.
Read full report on Sociology at UW - Whitewater
Michigan State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 108 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also made our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $19,058 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national 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 Michigan State University
With a ranking of #9, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 107 degrees to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $16,845 for great lakes region sociology students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Sociology at Ohio State
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 43 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,654 for great lakes region sociology students with aid per year to attend UW - La Crosse.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.
Read full report on Sociology at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 31 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $12,416 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full IUPUI Sociology Report
University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 21 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - River Falls did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $13,844 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Wisconsin - River Falls
Purdue University Northwest came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Hammond, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $11,384 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students with aid per year to attend Purdue University Northwest.
Read more about Sociology at Purdue University Northwest
With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 90 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $13,346 for great lakes region sociology students with aid.
Read more about Sociology at UW - Stevens Point
Northwestern University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 44 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $23,279 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students with aid per year to attend Northwestern University.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at Northwestern University
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. UWM is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.
UWM also made our “Best Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,486 for great lakes region sociology students with aid.
Read more about Sociology at UWM
University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kenosha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Parkside is $11,082 for great lakes region sociology students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Sociology at University of Wisconsin - Parkside
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 30 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,687 for great lakes region sociology students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.
Full UW Oshkosh Sociology Report
Oakland University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 36 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Oakland is $13,449 for great lakes region sociology students with aid.
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%.
Read full report on Sociology at Oakland
With a ranking of #20, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 39 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $16,051 for great lakes region sociology students with aid.
Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Sociology Report
Ball State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 34 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,765 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students with aid per year to attend Ball State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Sociology at Ball State
Wayne State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this large public school awarded 49 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,962 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students with aid per year to attend Wayne State.
Read full report on Sociology at Wayne State University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,462 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students with aid.
Full SIUE Sociology Report
Eastern Illinois University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 26 ’s sociology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $13,098 for Great Lakes Region Sociology students with aid.
Full Eastern Illinois University Sociology Report
University of Southern Indiana ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. USI is a public institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Indiana is $13,481 for great lakes region sociology students with aid.
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%.
Read full report on Sociology at USI
