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2025 Best Sociology Schools in Illinois

17 Colleges in Illinois
798 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 17 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for sociology students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 798 degrees in sociology to qualified students.

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

Choosing a Great Sociology School

Best Sociology Schools in Illinois 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

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 in Illinois 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 Illinois

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 Illinois Schools in Sociology

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IL
67 Sociology Degrees Awarded

It's difficult to beat University of Chicago if you want to pursue a degree in sociology. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #3 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 67 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Chicago

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Sociology Degrees Awarded
8.3% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in sociology needs to check out Northwestern University. 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 colleges nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were about 48 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available. Sociology degree recipients from Northwestern University earn a boost of about $3,640 over the average income of sociology majors.

More information about a degree in sociology from Northwestern 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
93 Sociology Degrees Awarded
19.4% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you want to pursue a degree in sociology. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 93 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, sociology degree recipients generally make an average of $31,548 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
91 Sociology Degrees Awarded
11.0% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in sociology has to take a look at University of Illinois at Chicago. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #254 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 91 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the sociology program report average early career income of $34,435.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of Illinois at Chicago

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
52 Sociology Degrees Awarded
7.7% Growth in Graduates

Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were about 52 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent data year. After graduating, sociology degree recipients usually earn about $34,004 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in sociology from Loyola University Chicago

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$33,636 Median Starting Salary

Illinois State is a very large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 64 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the sociology program make an average of $33,636 for their early career.

More information about a degree in sociology from Illinois State University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
50 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$35,150 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 20th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 50 sociology students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the sociology program report average early career earnings of $35,150.

More information about a degree in sociology from Northern Illinois University

8
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
50 Sociology Degrees Awarded
16.0% Growth in Graduates

DePaul is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.

There were roughly 50 sociology students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the sociology program earn around $33,644 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in sociology from DePaul University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
14th Most Popular In IL

Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Peoria. A Best Colleges rank of #519 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Bradley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 17 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Bradley in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in sociology from Bradley University

10
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, IL

North Central is a small private not-for-profit college located in the midsize city of Naperville. This college ranks 32nd out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 17 sociology students who graduated with this degree at North Central in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, sociology degree recipients generally earn about $29,714 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in sociology from North Central College

Best Sociology Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 550
Ohio 314 702
Indiana 294 471
Wisconsin 273 504

View All Rankings >

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

Sociology Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Sociology 798

View All Sociology Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Sociology

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 2,222
Political Science & Government 1,528
International Relations & National Security 373
Anthropology 300
General Social Sciences 254
Geography & Cartography 159
Sociology & Anthropology 51
Other Social Sciences 45
Urban Studies 18
Archeology 1

View All Sociology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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