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Best Sociology Schools

2023 Best Sociology Schools

623 Colleges
$31,426 Avg Salary
$24,587 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Sociology School for You

Sociology is the #27 most popular major in the country with 38,475 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Sociology Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 623 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Sociology Schools in the United States

The colleges and universities below are the best for sociology majors pursuing a .

Top 25 Top Schools in Sociology

Our 2023 rankings named Teachers College at Columbia University the best school in the United States for sociology students. Located in the large city of New York, Teachers College is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Sociology at Teachers College at Columbia University Report

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#2

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Claremont McKenna College is a great place for sociology students. Located in the suburb of Claremont, Claremont McKenna is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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#3

Duke University

Durham, NC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Duke University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Sociology Schools list. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Durham.

After completing their degree, sociology graduates from Duke carry an average student debtload of $10,000.

Full Sociology at Duke University Report

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#4

Williams College

Williamstown, MA

The excellent programs at Williams College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best sociology schools in the United States. Located in the town of Williamstown, Williams is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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#5

Rice University

Houston, TX

Out of the 623 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Rice University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Houston.

Full Sociology at Rice University Report

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#6

Princeton University

Princeton, NJ

Princeton University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for sociology students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the small city of Princeton, Princeton is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population.

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#7

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for sociology students. It came in at #7 on the list. Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Hanover.

Full Sociology at Dartmouth College Report

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The Graduate Center, CUNY ranked #8 on this year’s Best Sociology Schools list. The Graduate Center is a medium-sized public school located in the city of New York.

On average, sociology graduates from The Graduate Center take out $21,780 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#9

Yale University

New Haven, CT

Yale University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Sociology Schools list. Yale is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of New Haven.

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#10

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

Stanford University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for sociology students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

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#11

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

Vanderbilt University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Sociology Schools ranking. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Nashville.

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#12

DePauw University

Greencastle, IN

DePauw University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best sociology programs. DePauw is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Greencastle.

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#13

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

With a ranking of #13, Northwestern University did quite well on this year’s best schools for sociology students. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston.

On average, sociology graduates from Northwestern take out $15,195 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#14

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

University of Notre Dame came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Sociology Schools ranking. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Notre Dame.

While working on their degree, sociology majors at Notre Dame accumulate an average of around $20,943 in student debt.

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#15

Colgate University

Hamilton, NY

Colgate University landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best sociology programs. Colgate is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Hamilton.

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#16

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

University of Pennsylvania came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Sociology Schools ranking. UPenn is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Philadelphia.

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#17

Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

Harvard University landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best sociology programs. Harvard is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Cambridge.

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#18

Pomona College

Claremont, CA

Pomona College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Sociology Schools list. Pomona is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Claremont.

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#19

Amherst College

Amherst, MA

Amherst College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best sociology programs. Located in the suburb of Amherst, Amherst is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

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#20

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

Johns Hopkins University landed the #20 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best sociology programs. Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

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University of California - Berkeley came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Sociology Schools ranking. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public school located in the city of Berkeley.

While working on their degree, sociology majors at UC Berkeley accumulate an average of around $13,305 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $264, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Sociology at University of California - Berkeley Report

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#22

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC

With a ranking of #22, Wake Forest University did quite well on this year’s best schools for sociology students. Wake Forest University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Winston-Salem.

While working on their degree, sociology majors at Wake Forest University accumulate an average of around $19,875 in student debt.

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#23

Bates College

Lewiston, ME

Bates College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Sociology Schools ranking. Located in the city of Lewiston, Bates is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Full Sociology at Bates College Report

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#24

Barnard College

New York, NY

Barnard College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Sociology Schools ranking. Located in the city of New York, Barnard is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that sociology majors at Barnard take out is $18,899.

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#25

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME

Bowdoin College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for sociology students. It came in at #25 on the list. Bowdoin is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe town of Brunswick.

Full Sociology at Bowdoin College Report

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Rest of the Top 50 Best Sociology Schools

#26

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL
#27

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY
#28

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA
#29

Georgetown University

Washington, DC
#31

Augustana University

Sioux Falls, SD
#33

Villanova University

Villanova, PA
#34

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, PA
#35

Wellesley College

Wellesley, MA
#36

Haverford College

Haverford, PA
#37

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA
#38

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa, CA
#41

Park University

Parkville, MO
#42

Trinity College

Hartford, CT
#43

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY
#44

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA
#45

College of Saint Benedict

Saint Joseph, MN
#48

Brandman University

Irvine, CA

Additional Award Winners

This list shows the remainder of the colleges awarded a Best Sociology Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 623 different United States sociology schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
52 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
53 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
54 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
55 New York University New York, NY
56 St Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s City, MD
57 University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Whitewater, WI
58 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
59 Brigham Young University - Provo Provo, UT
60 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
61 Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN
62 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
63 Roanoke College Salem, VA
64 Upper Iowa University Fayette, IA
65 University of Wisconsin - River Falls River Falls, WI
66 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX
67 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
68 University of San Francisco San Francisco, CA
69 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
70 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
71 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
72 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
73 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
74 Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA
75 Niagara University Niagara University, NY
76 University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA
77 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI
78 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
79 Marquette University Milwaukee, WI
80 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
81 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
82 Emory University Atlanta, GA
83 Saint Vincent College Latrobe, PA
84 Colby College Waterville, ME
85 Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque, NM
86 University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD
87 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
88 The University of Arizona Global Campus San Diego, CA
89 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
90 Tufts University Medford, MA
91 California State University - Channel Islands Camarillo, CA
92 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
93 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC

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
94 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL
95 Webster University Saint Louis, MO
96 Winona State University Winona, MN
97 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
98 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
99 Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN
100 Furman University Greenville, SC
101 University of Florida Gainesville, FL
102 Iowa State University Ames, IA
103 Mount St Mary’s University Emmitsburg, MD
104 Elon University Elon, NC
105 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
106 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
107 Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX
108 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
109 Union College New York Schenectady, NY
110 Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CA
111 University of Minnesota - Duluth Duluth, MN
112 Cabrini University Radnor, PA
113 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Moorhead, MN
114 Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI
115 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
116 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
117 Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH
118 University of Delaware Newark, DE
119 Fort Hays State University Hays, KS
120 Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA
121 Providence College Providence, RI
122 Valdosta State University Valdosta, GA
123 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
124 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA

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
Great Lakes

Sociology is one of 12 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 49,282
Economics 49,055
General Social Sciences 18,997
International Relations & National Security 14,306
Anthropology 11,415

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Kontos.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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