2026 Best Value Sociology Schools in Minnesota
[Sociology](/majors/social-sciences/sociology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 20 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for sociology students.
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2026 Best Value Sociology Schools in Minnesota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in sociology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Sociology Schools
For return on investment in sociology, no school beat University Of Minnesota Twin Cities this year. Set in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $17,214, compared with $38,362 for out-of-state students. Sociology graduates carry a median of $20,377 in student loans. Early-career sociology graduates make about $38,972. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Bemidji State University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in sociology, landing the #2 spot this year. Bemidji State University is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Bemidji. Students from in state pay about $10,237 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for sociology graduates is $25,819. Soon after graduation, sociology degree recipients from Bemidji State University generally make around $48,984. That is a strong return on a $25,819 median debt. The acceptance rate is 56%.
Students looking for strong value in sociology will find it at Augsburg College, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Minneapolis, Augsburg College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $45,452. Typical student debt for sociology graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, sociology degree recipients from Augsburg College generally make around $34,543. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Augsburg College admits about 82% of applicants.
Macalester College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value sociology schools. Macalester College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Paul. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,104. Typical student debt for sociology graduates is $22,147. Early-career sociology graduates make about $42,517. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Macalester College admits about 28% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
