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2025 Best Sociology Schools in Virginia

15 Colleges in Virginia
912 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$34,762 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in sociology, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #25 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for sociology students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 912 degrees in sociology to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Sociology School

Best Sociology Schools in Virginia Your choice of sociology school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Sociology School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Sociology Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Sociology
Master's Degrees in Sociology
Doctor's Degrees in Sociology

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 the Best Sociology Schools in Virginia. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Sociology in Virginia

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the sociology degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Virginia Schools in Sociology

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Sociology Degrees Awarded
16.2% Growth in Graduates

University of Virginia - Main Campus is a great choice for students interested in a degree in sociology. Located in the midsize suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #35 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means University of Virginia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 99 sociology students who graduated with this degree at University of Virginia in the most recent data year. Sociology degree recipients from University of Virginia - Main Campus get an earnings boost of around $11,024 above the typical income of sociology majors.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Virginia - Main Campus

2
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
215 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$38,768 Median Starting Salary

Virginia Tech is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in sociology. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were about 215 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Those sociology students who get their degree from Virginia Tech make $4,006 more than the typical sociology graduate.

More information about a degree in sociology from Virginia Tech

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BA in Sociology Program Name

Learn to analyze social factors and become an advocate for individual and community health with this online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BA in Sociology from Southern New Hampshire University
3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$32,781 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Virginia Commonwealth University if you want to pursue a degree in sociology. Located in the medium-sized city of Richmond, VCU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #189 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were about 64 sociology students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the sociology program state that they receive average early career earnings of $32,781.

More information about a degree in sociology from Virginia Commonwealth University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Sociology Degrees Awarded
3.0% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat George Mason University if you wish to pursue a degree in sociology. GMU is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 33 sociology students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year. Those sociology students who get their degree from George Mason University make $4,154 more than the standard sociology student.

More information about a degree in sociology from George Mason University

5
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In VA
34 Sociology Degrees Awarded

Located in the small suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #103 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means William & Mary is a great school overall.

There were approximately 34 sociology students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sociology from William & Mary

6
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
16th Most Popular In VA
13.3% Growth in Graduates

URichmond is a small private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of University of Richmond. A Best Colleges rank of #126 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means URichmond is a great university overall.

There were roughly 15 sociology students who graduated with this degree at URichmond in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Richmond

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$37,946 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Norfolk, Old Dominion is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 16th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 92 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Old Dominion in the most recent data year. Those sociology students who get their degree from Old Dominion University receive $3,184 more than the typical sociology grad.

More information about a degree in sociology from Old Dominion University

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
52 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$36,977 Median Starting Salary

CNU is a small public university located in the midsize city of Newport News. This university ranks 15th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 52 sociology students who graduated with this degree at CNU in the most recent data year. Sociology degree recipients from Christopher Newport University get an earnings boost of around $2,215 above the average income of sociology graduates.

More information about a degree in sociology from Christopher Newport University

9
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$31,513 Median Starting Salary

JMU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Harrisonburg. A Best Colleges rank of #141 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means JMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 37 sociology students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year. After graduation, sociology degree recipients generally earn about $31,513 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in sociology from James Madison University

10
Roanoke crest
Roanoke College
Salem, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In VA

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Salem, Roanoke is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This college ranks 25th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 8 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Roanoke in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sociology from Roanoke College

Best Sociology Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Sociology Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 766
Florida 282 1,076
North Carolina 279 1,092
Tennessee 269 424
South Carolina 248 382
Kentucky 244 276
Louisiana 242 407
Mississippi 234 114
Arkansas 234 228
Alabama 233 222
West Virginia 207 191

View All Rankings >

One of 13 majors within the Social Sciences area of study, Sociology has other similar majors worth exploring.

Sociology Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Sociology 912

View All Sociology Concentrations >

Majors Similar to Sociology

Related Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 1,806
General Social Sciences 1,311
Economics 1,276
International Relations & National Security 1,125
Geography & Cartography 248
Anthropology 221
Urban Studies 73
Other Social Sciences 11
Sociology & Anthropology 10

View All Sociology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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