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2025 Best Sociology Schools

483 Colleges in the United States
35,816 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 483 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for sociology students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 35,816 degrees in sociology annually.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Sociology School

Best Sociology Schools The sociology program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Sociology rankings. 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.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Sociology Degree Level

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

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Sociology Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you. 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 the United States

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. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Sociology

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
713 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$34,121 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you want to pursue a degree in sociology. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. This university ranks 4th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 713 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UCLA 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 wages of $34,121.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Los Angeles

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
86th Most Popular In CA
55 Sociology Degrees Awarded

Every student who is interested in sociology needs to take a look at Stanford University. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.

There were approximately 55 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sociology from Stanford University

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
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
300 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$40,774 Median Starting Salary

University of California - Berkeley is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in sociology. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 300 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available. Sociology degree recipients from University of California - Berkeley receive an earnings boost of approximately $6,012 above the average earnings of sociology graduates.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Berkeley

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Sociology Degrees Awarded
16.0% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat Columbia University in the City of New York if you want to pursue a degree in sociology. Columbia is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of New York. A Best Colleges rank of #15 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia is a great university overall.

There were approximately 94 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the sociology program at Columbia University in the City of New York make $23,779 more than the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in sociology from Columbia University in the City of New York

5
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In MA
65 Sociology Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Cambridge, Harvard is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #4 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Harvard is a great university overall.

There were about 65 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sociology from Harvard University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IL
67 Sociology Degrees Awarded

UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 67 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Chicago

7
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
50 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$45,551 Median Starting Salary

Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Durham. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were roughly 50 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the sociology program at Duke University get $10,789 above the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in sociology from Duke University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Sociology Degrees Awarded
8.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 48 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent data year. Sociology degree recipients from Northwestern University get an earnings boost of approximately $3,640 above the average income of sociology graduates.

More information about a degree in sociology from Northwestern University

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IN
54 Sociology Degrees Awarded

Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Notre Dame. This university ranks 1st out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.

There were approximately 54 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Notre Dame

10
Boston College crest
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
55 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$48,091 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Chestnut Hill, Boston College is a private not-for-profit college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #17 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Boston College is a great college overall.

There were roughly 55 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Boston College in the most recent year we have data available. Sociology degree recipients from Boston College earn a boost of around $13,329 above the average earnings of sociology majors.

More information about a degree in sociology from Boston College

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
684 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$34,372 Median Starting Salary

UCSB is a very large public university located in the suburb of Santa Barbara. This university ranks 7th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 684 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the sociology program state that they receive average early career wages of $34,372.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Santa Barbara

12
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
253 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$40,062 Median Starting Salary

UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the large city of Seattle. This university ranks 1st out of 50 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.

There were roughly 253 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent data year. Sociology degree recipients from University of Washington - Seattle Campus receive an earnings boost of about $5,300 over the average earnings of sociology majors.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

13
Yale crest
Yale University
New Haven, CT
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In CT
40 Sociology Degrees Awarded

Yale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of New Haven. This university ranks 1st out of 18 colleges for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.

There were about 40 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Yale in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sociology from Yale University

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In MD

Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #6 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Johns Hopkins is a great university overall.

There were approximately 27 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sociology from Johns Hopkins University

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
146 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$33,832 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor, U-M is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 146 sociology students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the sociology program report average early career wages of $33,832.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
119 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$35,889 Median Starting Salary

UW - Madison is a fairly large public university located in the city of Madison. This university ranks 1st out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were approximately 119 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the sociology program report average early career wages of $35,889.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Wisconsin - Madison

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$36,709 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #9 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cornell is a great university overall.

There were roughly 76 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Cornell in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the sociology program earn around $36,709 for their early career.

More information about a degree in sociology from Cornell University

18
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In TN
48 Sociology Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Vanderbilt is a great university overall.

There were about 48 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sociology from Vanderbilt University

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
166 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$35,848 Median Starting Salary

Texas A&M College Station is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of College Station. This university ranks 1st out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 166 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the sociology program earn around $35,848 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in sociology from Texas A&M University - College Station

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
304 Sociology Degrees Awarded
9.5% Growth in Graduates

UC Davis is a very large public university located in the small suburb of Davis. This university ranks 10th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were roughly 304 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the sociology program earn around $32,137 for their early career.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Davis

21
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$64,377 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #12 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Dartmouth is a great college overall.

There were approximately 31 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the sociology degree program at Dartmouth College make $29,615 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in sociology from Dartmouth College

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
271 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$34,050 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 271 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the sociology program report average early career wages of $34,050.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of California - Irvine

23
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
99 Sociology Degrees Awarded
16.2% Growth in Graduates

University of Virginia is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Charlottesville. This university ranks 1st out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

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 receive an earnings boost of approximately $11,024 above the average income of sociology majors.

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

24
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
124 Sociology Degrees Awarded
12.9% Growth in Graduates

Michigan State is a fairly large public university located in the city of East Lansing. This university ranks 2nd out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 124 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the sociology program earn about $35,055 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in sociology from Michigan State University

25
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MO

WUSTL is a large private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Saint Louis. This university ranks 1st out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were approximately 23 sociology students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sociology from Washington University in St Louis

Rest of the Top 50 Best Sociology Schools

26
27
28
29
NYU crest
New York University
New York, NY
30
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
31
32

33
Georgetown crest
Georgetown University
Washington, DC

34
35
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
36
37
38
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ
39
40
Syracuse crest
Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY
41

42
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, RI

43
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, MA
44
45
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, TX
46
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
47
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
48
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
49
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
50

Additional Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Sociology Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 20% of the 483 different United States sociology schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Tufts University Medford, MA
52 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
53 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
54 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
55 University at Albany Albany, NY
56 Barnard College New York, NY
57 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
58 University of Delaware Newark, DE
59 Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO
60 Stony Brook University Stony Brook, NY
61 Arizona State University - Tempe Tempe, AZ
62 University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO
63 University of Iowa Iowa City, IA
64 Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ
65 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
66 The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Knoxville, TN
67 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
68 Villanova University Villanova, PA
69 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
70 Fordham University Bronx, NY
71 Trinity College Hartford, CT
72 University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY
73 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
74 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
75 Colby College Waterville, ME
76 Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN
77 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
78 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
79 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
80 George Washington University Washington, DC
81 Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA
82 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA
83 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
84 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
85 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
86 Northeastern University Boston, MA
87 University of Miami Coral Gables, FL
88 Iowa State University Ames, IA
89 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
90 University of New Hampshire - Main Campus Durham, NH
91 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
92 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
93 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
94 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
95 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
96 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Sociology Schools award.

Rank College Location
97 Bates College Lewiston, ME
98 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
99 University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT
100 University of South Florida - Main Campus Tampa, FL
101 California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA
102 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA
103 George Mason University Fairfax, VA
104 Providence College Providence, RI
105 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
106 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
107 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
108 Connecticut College New London, CT
109 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
110 Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH
111 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
112 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
113 Union College New York Schenectady, NY
114 University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln, NE
115 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
116 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
117 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
118 University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC
119 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
120 Kansas State University Manhattan, KS
121 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
122 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
123 Merced College Merced, CA
124 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
125 Smith College Northampton, MA
126 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
127 Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA
128 University of North Texas Denton, TX
129 Illinois State University Normal, IL
130 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
131 University of Denver Denver, CO
132 Temple University Philadelphia, PA
133 Suffolk University Boston, MA
134 University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA
135 South Dakota State University Brookings, SD
136 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
137 North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC
138 Ohio University - Athens Campus Athens, OH
139 Washington State University Pullman, WA
140 University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC
141 Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX
142 Clemson University Clemson, SC
143 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
144 University of California - Merced Merced, CA
145 Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH
146 Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL
147 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
148 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
149 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY
150 University of Central Florida Orlando, FL
151 California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA
152 Hunter College New York, NY
153 California State University - Chico Chico, CA
154 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
155 Florida International University Miami, FL
156 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA
157 California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA
158 DePaul University Chicago, IL
159 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
160 Georgia State University Atlanta, GA
161 Lehman College Bronx, NY

Sociology by Region

View the Best Sociology Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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Sociology is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

Sociology Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Sociology 35,696
Applied/Public Sociology 77
Rural Sociology 43

View All Sociology Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Sociology

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 47,809
Political Science & Government 47,686
General Social Sciences 17,338
International Relations & National Security 13,958
Anthropology 11,105
Geography & Cartography 8,281
Other Social Sciences 2,116
Urban Studies 1,453
Sociology & Anthropology 520
Archeology 333

View All Sociology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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