Sociology major

Sociology: courses, careers, and where to study

Sociology studies social institutions, group behavior, inequality, and culture, preparing graduates for research, policy, social services, and graduate school in law or social work.

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Sociology earn a median $52,657 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $37,665 to $69,502 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard). By credential and college

A Sociology major examines society at scale, institutions, demographics, inequality, race, class, gender, religion, family, deviance, and social change. Programs combine theory (Marx, Weber, Durkheim through contemporary frameworks) with quantitative and qualitative research methods (statistics, survey design, ethnography, interview methods). Sociology pairs well with a minor in Statistics, Political Science, or Public Health for data-leaning graduates.

Graduates work in nonprofit research, public policy, social services, government, market research, journalism, and as a strong feeder to Law school and Social Work.

Academic classification (CIP)

In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Sociology maps to CIP 45.1101, Sociology, General, within the SOCIAL SCIENCES family. The official definition:

A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems.

Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov

What credential Sociology is awarded as

Of the 30,658 Sociology credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2024-25:

  • Certificate: <1%, 160 credentials.
  • Associate: 16%, 4,871 credentials.
  • Bachelor's: 78%, 23,904 credentials.
  • Graduate: 6%, 1,723 credentials.

This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 47 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 4 percentage points between the 10th and 90th percentile state, so the credential is more a property of the field than of where you study it. See the full study.

Credentials conferred in 2024-25, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.

What you'll study

  • Sociological theory (classical and contemporary)
  • Race, class, and gender stratification
  • Family and demography
  • Crime and deviance
  • Quantitative methods and statistics
  • Qualitative methods (ethnography, interviews)
  • Sociology of work, education, or health
  • Senior research project

Typical careers

Typical salary range: $42,000–$68,000 early-careerRanges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.

How much do Sociology graduates earn?

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Sociology earn a median $52,657 four years after graduating; the middle half of programs ranges from $37,665 to $69,502 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).

National median earnings four years after graduating for Sociology, by credential
CredentialNational medianMiddle half of programs
Bachelor's$52,657$37,665 to $69,502
Associate's$44,144$28,049 to $58,664
Master's$63,330$46,335 to $84,688

Compare Sociology programs in your state

Highest-earning bachelor's Sociology programs

Ordered by median earnings: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality. Federal program group: Sociology. Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Programs need at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort to be listed; multi-state systems whose figures pool campuses are not listed. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 10 June 2026. How much the college matters, by major. Graduate programs over the new federal loan caps.

Related occupations

Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Sociology, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.

Occupations associated with Sociology by the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, with median annual wage, projected annual openings, projected employment change, and the education most entrants typically hold.
OccupationMedian payOpenings / yrProjected changeMost entrants hold
Managers, All Other$136,550106,700+4.5%Bachelor's degree
Social Science Research Assistants$58,0405,200+4.4%Bachelor's degree
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary$82,5401,100+2.1%Doctoral or professional degree
Sociologists$101,690300+3.6%Master's degree

Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 4 of these 4 occupations report a median wage.

“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Sociology does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.

Before you commit to a Sociology major

CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Sociology program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.

Ask the Sociology department

  • Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
  • What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
  • What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
  • Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?

Ask current students & check the curriculum

  • How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
  • What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
  • Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
  • How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Accreditation & licensure: Most Sociology programs are covered by their institution's regional accreditation; specialized programmatic accreditation is less common in this field. Confirm any field-specific accreditation or licensure that matters for your goals.
Degree level & graduate study: Many Sociology careers are open with a bachelor's degree, but some, such as research, advanced-practice, or licensure-track roles, require a master's or doctorate. Check the typical entry-level education on each linked career page above before assuming a bachelor's is enough.

Find a Sociology program

CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.

Colleges that awarded the most Sociology credentials

Largest by credentials conferred in 2024-25. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.

Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2024-25. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.

Search Sociology schools

Where Sociology credentials were awarded

5 states have a distinct enough set of Sociology colleges to be worth its own page.

Search Sociology schools by state

Every Sociology program with its own CampusPin page

166 programs in 42 states, A to Z by state and then by college. Each page gives what the program's graduates earned four years after finishing, what they borrowed in federal loans, the monthly payment, and how the program compares with others in its state and the nation. The figure beside each college is the median for its largest credential with at least 30 graduates (U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23). The list is alphabetical; it is not a ranking.

Sociology programs in Arizona, 2 programs
Sociology programs in Arkansas, 2 programs
Sociology programs in California, 34 programs
Sociology programs in Colorado, 5 programs
Sociology programs in Connecticut, 3 programs
Sociology programs in Delaware, 1 program
Sociology programs in Florida, 8 programs
Sociology programs in Georgia, 4 programs
Sociology programs in Hawaii, 1 program
Sociology programs in Idaho, 2 programs
Sociology programs in Illinois, 7 programs
Sociology programs in Indiana, 2 programs
Sociology programs in Iowa, 2 programs
Sociology programs in Kansas, 1 program
Sociology programs in Kentucky, 1 program
Sociology programs in Louisiana, 2 programs
Sociology programs in Maryland, 3 programs
Sociology programs in Massachusetts, 6 programs
Sociology programs in Michigan, 4 programs
Sociology programs in Minnesota, 1 program
Sociology programs in Missouri, 1 program
Sociology programs in Montana, 1 program
Sociology programs in Nevada, 1 program
Sociology programs in New Hampshire, 1 program
Sociology programs in New Jersey, 6 programs
Sociology programs in New Mexico, 1 program
Sociology programs in New York, 14 programs
Sociology programs in North Carolina, 4 programs
Sociology programs in Ohio, 4 programs
Sociology programs in Oklahoma, 3 programs
Sociology programs in Oregon, 3 programs
Sociology programs in Pennsylvania, 3 programs
Sociology programs in Rhode Island, 1 program
Sociology programs in South Carolina, 4 programs
Sociology programs in South Dakota, 1 program
Sociology programs in Tennessee, 2 programs
Sociology programs in Texas, 8 programs
Sociology programs in Utah, 3 programs
Sociology programs in Virginia, 5 programs
Sociology programs in Washington, 3 programs
Sociology programs in West Virginia, 2 programs
Sociology programs in Wisconsin, 4 programs

Related majors

Still deciding between Sociology and something else?

These guides put Sociology side by side with the major it is most often confused with, using the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk to show where the two actually lead.

Put this major in context

The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Sociology degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.

Explore Science & Research careers

Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.

Explore Management careers

Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.

How one major leads to many careers

Why a single Sociology degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.

Why a median wage is not a starting salary

How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.

When accreditation and licensure matter

How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Sociology path before you enroll.

Does a pricier college pay off?

How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.

Does picking a major narrow your college list?

Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.

Certificate or degree?

What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.

How this guide is sourced

This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.