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.
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 31,237 Sociology credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate<1%113
- Associate16%4,930
- Bachelor's78%24,320
- Graduate6%1,874
This mix is fairly consistent nationally: across the 48 states reporting it, the certificate share moves by about 1 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 2023-24, 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
- Policy Analyst
- Market Research Analyst
- Social Worker (with MSW)
- Nonprofit Program Manager
- Survey Researcher
- Journalist
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.
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.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other | $136,550 | 106,700 | +4.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Social Science Research Assistants | $58,040 | 5,200 | +4.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary | $82,540 | 1,100 | +2.1% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Sociologists | $101,690 | 300 | +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?
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 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- University of California-Los AngelesCA · 682
- University of California-Santa BarbaraCA · 661
- California State University-NorthridgeCA · 389
- California State University-FullertonCA · 342
- California State University-Los AngelesCA · 340
- California State University-Long BeachCA · 315
- University of California-BerkeleyCA · 296
- California State University-SacramentoCA · 293
- California State University-San BernardinoCA · 282
- Arizona State University Digital ImmersionAZ · 270
- University of California-DavisCA · 270
- University of California-RiversideCA · 260
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. 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.
Where Sociology credentials were awarded
8 states have a distinct enough set of Sociology colleges to be worth its own page.
Related majors
Psychology
Psychology majors study human cognition, behavior, and emotion, preparing graduates for clinical, research, business, and human-services careers (and graduate school in clinical, counseling, and I/O psych).
Social Work
Social Work prepares graduates for licensed direct practice with individuals, families, and communities, combining behavioral sciences with field placements and an explicit ethical framework.
Political Science
Political Science studies governments, political behavior, and policy, preparing graduates for law school, public service, journalism, and policy research.
Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice studies the institutions and practices of policing, courts, and corrections, preparing graduates for law enforcement, probation, corrections, and law school.
Still deciding between Sociology and something else?
These guides put Sociologyside 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.