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Sociologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a sociologist. Sociologists usually study sociology, psychology, or general studies. 52% of sociologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 107 real sociologist resumes to see exactly what sociologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for sociologists are the New York University and the New York University.
There are also many online sociologist courses to help get the education required to be a sociologist.
What education do you need to become a sociologist?
What degree do you need to be a sociologist?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Master's, 29%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a sociologist?
- Sociology, 59%
- Psychology, 6%
- General Studies, 3%
- Economics, 3%
- Other Majors, 29%
Most common colleges for sociologists
| Sociologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New York University | 9.09% |
| National University | 9.09% |
| Stanford University | 4.55% |
| George Washington University, The | 4.55% |
| Duke University | 4.55% |
Best majors for sociologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sociology | 59.4% |
| 2 | Psychology | 5.8% |
| 3 | General Studies | 2.9% |
| 4 | Economics | 2.9% |
| 5 | Elementary Education | 2.9% |
Best colleges for sociologists
The best colleges for sociologists are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
A sociologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for sociologists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become sociologists.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
3. University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,700
Enrollment
29,722
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
6. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for sociologists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for sociologists
The most affordable schools for sociologists are Hunter College of the City University of New York, florida state university, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for sociologists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for sociologists.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
9. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
10. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Cost of attendance
22,990
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sociologists
The hardest universities for sociologists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for sociologists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for sociologists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Brown University
Providence, RI • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
10. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sociologists
The easiest schools for sociologists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and the university of texas permian basin.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sociologist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for sociologists.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
4. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
5. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. College of Mount Saint Vincent
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,021
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average sociologist salary by education level
| Sociologist education level | Sociologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $55,649 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,702 |
| Doctorate Degree | $59,888 |
Sociologist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025