Sociology: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 45.11. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,734 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 40 | 113 | $42,583 | $50,205 | $18,500 3 programs |
| Associate's degree | 234 | 4,999 | $33,731 | $44,144 | $11,139 7 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 1,000 | 24,388 | $40,712 | $52,657 | $22,551 364 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 6 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 280 | 1,225 | $51,445 | $63,330 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 135 | 591 | $75,474 | $88,618 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 3 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 36 | 62 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 25 graduates measured | $44,453 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Boulder CO · Public · 17 graduates measured | $41,329 | Data unavailable | $15,125 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County Community College PA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $40,235 | $39,381 | $16,500 |
| Oklahoma City Community College OK · Public · 21 graduates measured | $37,160 | $42,067 | $11,139 |
| Coalinga College CA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $36,327 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Antelope Valley Community College District CA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $35,738 | $42,230 | Data unavailable |
| Lemoore College CA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $34,290 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Mt San Antonio College CA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $33,937 | $37,703 | $5,843 |
| Riverside City College CA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $22,814 | $46,730 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University NY · Private, nonprofit · 52 graduates measured | $70,733 | $73,200 | $10,250 |
| Dartmouth College NH · Private, nonprofit · 34 graduates measured | $67,796 | $81,722 | $10,911 |
| Duke University NC · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $67,720 | $61,425 | Data unavailable |
| Princeton University NJ · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $66,007 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Gettysburg College PA · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $59,905 | Data unavailable | $26,795 |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 35 graduates measured | $59,638 | $101,536 | $21,500 |
| George Washington University DC · Private, nonprofit · 25 graduates measured | $58,458 | $78,857 | Data unavailable |
| Emory University GA · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $58,398 | Data unavailable | $12,000 |
| Colgate University NY · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $56,053 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Tufts University MA · Private, nonprofit · 31 graduates measured | $55,788 | $61,719 | $16,489 |
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 18 graduates measured | $55,251 | $75,267 | Data unavailable |
| University of Notre Dame IN · Private, nonprofit · 29 graduates measured | $54,923 | $69,704 | $19,250 |
| Middlebury College VT · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $54,900 | $58,241 | Data unavailable |
| Wellesley College MA · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $54,351 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 64 graduates measured | $53,913 | $54,432 | $25,451 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teachers College at Columbia University NY · Private, nonprofit · 32 graduates measured | $78,842 | $93,752 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Sacramento CA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $61,154 | $59,203 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Los Angeles CA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $59,061 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham AL · Public · 43 graduates measured | $57,748 | $68,281 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 87 graduates measured | $57,159 | $65,008 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 87 graduates measured | $57,159 | $65,008 | Data unavailable |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio TX · Public · 18 graduates measured | $54,227 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Oklahoma City University OK · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $49,574 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Colorado Springs CO · Public · 18 graduates measured | $49,066 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| The University of Arizona Global Campus AZ · Private, for-profit · 28 graduates measured | $46,608 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of California-Irvine CA · Public · 18 graduates measured | $95,445 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 17 graduates measured | $84,879 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 17 graduates measured | $78,722 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center NY · Public · 19 graduates measured | $60,863 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Sociology
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | $141,900 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Sociologists | $106,030 | +3.8% | Master's degree |
| Social science research assistants | $61,990 | +5.0% | Bachelor's degree |
| Sociology teachers, postsecondary | $84,290 | +2.2% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other | $72,990 | +1.6% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (4)
- 45.1101 Sociology, General
- 45.1102 Applied/Public Sociology
- 45.1103 Rural Sociology
- 45.1199 Sociology, Other