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2025 Best Sociology Schools in North Carolina

15 Colleges in North Carolina
992 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$34,762 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #25 in popularity, sociology is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools in North Carolina to determine which ones were the best for sociology students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 992 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 North Carolina Your choice of sociology school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for sociology schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

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

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 Sociology Schools in North Carolina list to help you make the college decision. If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.

Best Schools for Sociology in North Carolina

The schools below may not offer all types of sociology degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top North Carolina Schools in Sociology

1
Duke crest
Duke University
Durham, NC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
50 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$45,551 Median Starting Salary

Duke University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in sociology. Located in the city of Durham, Duke is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #7 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Duke is a great university overall.

There were about 50 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Duke in the most recent year we have data available. Those sociology students who get their degree from Duke University make $10,789 more than the standard sociology graduate.

More information about a degree in sociology from Duke University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
116 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$30,623 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill if you wish to pursue a degree in sociology. UNC Chapel Hill is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Chapel Hill. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were about 116 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year. After graduation, sociology degree recipients generally earn an average of $30,623 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Sociology Degrees Awarded
23.4% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in sociology has to take a look at Wake Forest University. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Winston-Salem. A Best Colleges rank of #76 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Wake Forest University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 47 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Wake Forest University in the most recent year we have data available. Those sociology students who get their degree from Wake Forest University make $11,495 more than the typical sociology student.

More information about a degree in sociology from Wake Forest University

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
116 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$31,897 Median Starting Salary

University of North Carolina at Charlotte is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in sociology. Located in the city of Charlotte, UNC Charlotte is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #367 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UNC Charlotte is a great university overall.

There were approximately 116 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UNC Charlotte in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the sociology program earn an average of $31,897 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of North Carolina at Charlotte

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$35,510 Median Starting Salary

NC State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Raleigh. A Best Colleges rank of #122 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 67 sociology students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the sociology program report average early career income of $35,510.

More information about a degree in sociology from North Carolina State University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
123 Sociology Degrees Awarded
$27,400 Median Starting Salary

UNC Greensboro is a large public university located in the large city of Greensboro. This university ranks 17th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 123 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UNC Greensboro in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the sociology program report average early career wages of $27,400.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of North Carolina at Greensboro

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
18th Most Popular In NC
10.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Elon, Elon is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #190 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Elon is a great university overall.

There were about 10 sociology students who graduated with this degree at Elon in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in sociology from Elon University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Sociology Degrees Awarded
5.1% Growth in Graduates

ECU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Greenville. A Best Colleges rank of #275 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means ECU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 59 sociology students who graduated with this degree at ECU 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 $31,928.

More information about a degree in sociology from East Carolina University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
144 Sociology Degrees Awarded
9.0% Growth in Graduates

UNC Pembroke is a moderately-sized public university located in the town of Pembroke. This university ranks 48th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 144 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UNC Pembroke in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, sociology degree recipients typically make an average of $34,051 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of North Carolina at Pembroke

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$29,220 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Wilmington, UNCW is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 23 sociology students who graduated with this degree at UNCW in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, sociology degree recipients usually make about $29,220 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in sociology from University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Best Sociology Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 766
Florida 282 1,076
Virginia 274 937
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 958
Applied/Public Sociology 34

View All Sociology Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 1,761
Economics 1,297
Anthropology 424
Geography & Cartography 265
General Social Sciences 125
International Relations & National Security 88
Sociology & Anthropology 13
Archeology 8

View All Sociology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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