Best degree programs for Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary, ranked by enrollment
7 college programs and 1,069 schools train Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $84,290 median wage, 11,850 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
7 college programs at 1,069 schools train sociology teachers, postsecondary, graduating 28,495 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Sociology, General. The job pays a median of $84,290 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About sociology teachers, postsecondary
Teach courses in sociology. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
7 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 45.1101 | 27,731 | 97.3% | 1,030 | $34,099 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 45.1301 | 496 | 1.7% | 49 | $28,378 | $24,924 |
| 3 | CIP 45.1102 | 125 | 0.4% | 10 | $34,099 | $25,000 |
| 4 | CIP 45.0501 | 71 | 0.2% | 12 | — | — |
| 5 | CIP 45.1103 | 46 | 0.2% | 4 | $34,099 | $25,000 |
| 6 | CIP 45.0103 | 18 | 0.1% | 2 | $35,590 | $24,095 |
| 7 | CIP 45.1199 | 8 | 0.0% | 3 | $34,099 | $25,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 672 | Sociology, General | 93% | — | 9% |
| 2 | University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 667 | Sociology, General | 83% | — | 33% |
| 3 | California State University - Northridge Northridge, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 341 | Sociology, General | 57% | — | 93% |
| 4 | California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 319 | Sociology, General | 70% | — | 91% |
| 5 | California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 303 | Sociology, General | 69% | — | 46% |
| 6 | University of California - Irvine Irvine, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 263 | Sociology, General | 87% | — | 29% |
| 7 | California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 259 | Sociology, General | 53% | — | 91% |
| 8 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 256 | Sociology, General | 93% | — | 11% |
| 9 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 255 | Sociology, General | 86% | — | 42% |
| 10 | California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 235 | Sociology, General | 56% | — | 94% |
| 11 | University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 234 | Sociology, General | 76% | — | 76% |
| 12 | California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 231 | Sociology, General | 55% | — | 94% |
| 13 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 219 | Sociology, General | 84% | — | 57% |
| 14 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 217 | Sociology, General | 0% | — | 67% |
| 15 | California State University - San Marcos San Marcos, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 215 | Sociology, General | 55% | — | 95% |
| 16 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA Public · 1 feeder programs | 208 | Sociology, General | 69% | — | 73% |
| 17 | California State University - Chico Chico, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 198 | Sociology, General | 63% | — | 93% |
| 18 | Mt San Antonio College Walnut, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 192 | Sociology, General | 45% | — | — |
| 19 | California State University - Dominguez Hills Carson, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 190 | Sociology, General | 43% | — | 93% |
| 20 | Purdue University - Main Campus West Lafayette, IN Public · 1 feeder programs | 179 | Sociology, General | 83% | — | 50% |
| 21 | Long Beach City College Long Beach, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 177 | Sociology, General | 30% | — | — |
| 22 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 172 | Sociology, General | 86% | — | 55% |
| 23 | Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 161 | Sociology, General | 67% | — | 89% |
| 24 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 160 | Sociology, General | 85% | — | 39% |
| 25 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO Public · 1 feeder programs | 156 | Sociology, General | 74% | — | 78% |
| 26 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 155 | Sociology, General | 76% | — | 36% |
| 27 | California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Pomona, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 152 | Sociology, General | 68% | — | 75% |
| 28 | San Jose State University San Jose, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 151 | Sociology, General | 69% | — | 85% |
| 29 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 149 | Sociology, General | 89% | — | 27% |
| 30 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 146 | Sociology, General | 69% | — | 80% |
| 31 | University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 144 | Sociology, General | 75% | — | 66% |
| 32 | CUNY Hunter College New York, NY Public · 1 feeder programs | 141 | Sociology, General | 57% | — | 54% |
| 33 | University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 141 | Sociology, General | 86% | — | 27% |
| 34 | Merced College Merced, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 138 | Sociology, General | 36% | — | — |
| 35 | Georgia State University Atlanta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs | 135 | Sociology, General | 53% | — | 55% |
| 36 | California State University - Fresno Fresno, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 132 | Sociology, General | 57% | — | 95% |
| 37 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 129 | Sociology, General | 93% | — | 16% |
| 38 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 127 | Sociology, General | 44% | — | 93% |
| 39 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 126 | Sociology, General | 91% | — | 24% |
| 40 | University at Albany Albany, NY Public · 1 feeder programs | 125 | Sociology, General | 61% | — | 69% |
| 41 | CUNY Lehman College Bronx, NY Public · 1 feeder programs | 118 | Sociology, General | 51% | — | 57% |
| 42 | University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY Public · 1 feeder programs | 118 | Sociology, General | 75% | — | 74% |
| 43 | Bakersfield College Bakersfield, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 117 | Sociology, General | 21% | — | — |
| 44 | University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Public · 1 feeder programs | 115 | Sociology, General | 65% | — | 86% |
| 45 | San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 114 | Sociology, General | 50% | — | 96% |
| 46 | California State University - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 111 | Sociology, General | 50% | — | 94% |
| 47 | Clemson University Clemson, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 110 | Sociology, General | 87% | — | 38% |
| 48 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 108 | Sociology, General | 81% | — | 85% |
| 49 | University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD Public · 2 feeder programs | 108 | Sociology, General | 89% | — | 45% |
| 50 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 105 | Sociology, General | 83% | — | 60% |
What sociology teachers, postsecondary earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $127,680 | 810 | 0.59× | 178 | 11,310 |
| New York | $97,540 | 1,130 | 1.53× | 74 | 1,933 |
| Texas | $81,220 | 1,040 | 0.97× | 65 | 1,458 |
| North Carolina | $76,430 | 550 | 1.45× | 33 | 939 |
| Virginia | $78,120 | 400 | 1.29× | 28 | 665 |
| Florida | $63,470 | 230 | 0.31× | 21 | 631 |
| Georgia | $84,330 | 230 | 0.63× | 28 | 625 |
| Colorado | $78,630 | 220 | 1.01× | 21 | 588 |
| Illinois | $82,610 | 440 | 0.94× | 37 | 559 |
| Massachusetts | $96,790 | 580 | 2.10× | 40 | 559 |
| Pennsylvania | $99,660 | 440 | 0.95× | 55 | 548 |
| Ohio | $79,690 | 550 | 1.31× | 39 | 529 |
| Arizona | $78,430 | 230 | 0.94× | 14 | 495 |
| Washington | $83,140 | 200 | 0.72× | 12 | 473 |
| Indiana | $79,880 | 290 | 1.17× | 28 | 435 |
| New Jersey | $78,350 | 550 | 1.68× | 21 | 428 |
| Michigan | $102,870 | 370 | 1.11× | 25 | 422 |
| Louisiana | $83,700 | 80 | 0.55× | 13 | 399 |
| Tennessee | $77,370 | 190 | 0.76× | 20 | 356 |
| Maryland | $95,980 | 200 | 0.95× | 17 | 350 |
| Utah | $99,350 | 70 | 0.51× | 9 | 350 |
| Wisconsin | $84,960 | 450 | 1.99× | 18 | 349 |
| Oregon | $101,960 | 150 | 1.03× | 13 | 336 |
| Connecticut | $101,490 | 320 | 2.48× | 15 | 332 |
| South Carolina | $78,410 | 120 | 0.68× | 19 | 331 |
| Oklahoma | $64,900 | 120 | 0.89× | 17 | 316 |
| Minnesota | $87,340 | 240 | 1.06× | 20 | 224 |
| Missouri | $77,800 | 100 | 0.44× | 21 | 223 |
| Kentucky | $61,260 | 150 | 0.98× | 16 | 203 |
| New Mexico | $77,740 | 50 | 0.74× | 5 | 187 |
| Alabama | $73,670 | 210 | 1.30× | 17 | 168 |
| Iowa | $81,910 | 140 | 1.21× | 23 | 159 |
| West Virginia | $77,380 | 60 | 1.16× | 7 | 152 |
| Idaho | $84,140 | 50 | 0.74× | 8 | 140 |
| Arkansas | $62,390 | 30 | 0.32× | 8 | 133 |
| District of Columbia | $103,160 | 70 | 1.28× | 6 | 132 |
| Kansas | $78,630 | 110 | 0.99× | 9 | 119 |
| Montana | $75,880 | 30 | 0.82× | 5 | 107 |
| Mississippi | $70,860 | 90 | 1.04× | 10 | 105 |
| Nevadamoderate | $87,480 | 100 | 0.82× | 3 | 92 |
| New Hampshire | $112,890 | 40 | 0.79× | 5 | 91 |
| Nebraska | $76,230 | 70 | 0.91× | 9 | 78 |
| Vermontmoderate | $87,620 | 40 | 1.78× | 3 | 74 |
| Maine | $76,010 | 80 | 1.68× | 6 | 57 |
| South Dakota | $64,210 | 40 | 1.27× | 6 | 44 |
| Delawarelimited | $123,710 | — | — | 1 | 24 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, assignments, and papers.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as race and ethnic relations, measurement and data collection, and workplace social relations.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
- Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
- Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.
Skills
- Speaking4.6
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Learning Strategies4.0
- Writing4.0
- Monitoring3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Active Learning3.6
Knowledge areas
- English Language4.9
- Sociology and Anthropology4.7
- Education and Training4.5
- Computers and Electronics3.9
- History and Archeology3.9
- Psychology3.8
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.5
- Oral Comprehension4.0
- Inductive Reasoning4.0
- Speech Clarity4.0
- Written Comprehension4.0
- Written Expression4.0
Core activities
- Processing Information4.8
- Analyzing Data or Information4.7
- Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others4.6
- Training and Teaching Others4.5
- Thinking Creatively4.5
- Working with Computers4.5
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Sociology Teacher, Postsecondary
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 9 majors mapped to Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary7 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 45.0103Survey Research/Methodology
- 45.0501Demography and Population Studies
- 45.0502Applied Demography(no graduates reported)
- 45.0599Demography, Other(no graduates reported)
- 45.1101Sociology, General
- 45.1102Applied/Public Sociology
- 45.1103Rural Sociology
- 45.1199Sociology, Other
- 45.1301Sociology and Anthropology
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Sociology Teacher, Postsecondary?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Sociology, General, which awarded 27,731 degrees in 2024-25, 97.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Sociology Teacher, Postsecondary?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Sociology, Sociology and Anthropology, Demography, Social Sciences. Together they graduate about 28,495 people a year.
How much do sociology teachers, postsecondary earn?+
The median is $84,290 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $49,930 at the 10th percentile to $160,140 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for sociology teachers, postsecondary growing?+
BLS projects a +2.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 1,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
1,069 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 7 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do sociology teachers, postsecondary work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Assistant Professor, Sociology Professor, Sociology Instructor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1067.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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