Ohio · Sociology

Best colleges for Sociology in Ohio

Ranked by graduate earnings

Miami University - Oxford, University of Cincinnati and Ohio State University are the top bachelor's Sociology programs in Ohio by graduate earnings. Miami University - Oxford leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $43,150, College Scorecard. Ohio University, Ohio State University and Kent State University at Kent award the most Sociology degrees in Ohio: 90, 85 and 48 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 38 Ohio colleges offer Sociology and award 526 degrees and certificates a year in all.

Sociology is the scientific study of human society, focusing on social behavior, relationships, and cultural aspects of everyday life. This program is ideal for students interested in understanding the complexities of social interactions…

Institutions
38
offering CIP 45.11
States & territories
52
with a program page
Degrees / yr
526
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$36,506
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
12
College Scorecard
Median net price
$22,491
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
57%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Sociologists
$84,440
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 9 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Miami University - Oxford
Oxford Public · Bachelor's degree
$43,1503880%—$23,500
2University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati Public · Bachelor's degree
$42,5072475%—$24,250
3Ohio State University
Columbus Public · Bachelor's degree
$38,0348588%—$21,739
4John Carroll University
University Heights Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$36,8452679%$25,705$27,000
5Ohio University
Athens Public · Bachelor's degree
$36,5069065%—$25,000
6Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green Public · Bachelor's degree
$31,4842064%—$27,000
7Kent State University at Kent
Kent Public · Bachelor's degree
$29,1834864%—$25,000
8Cleveland State University
Cleveland Public · Bachelor's degree Small program
$34,4901651%—$25,575
9The College of Wooster
Wooster Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree Small program
$32,4621174%$22,491$27,000

Colleges awarding the most Sociology degrees in Ohio

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Ohio University
Athens Public
90$36,506
2Ohio State University
Columbus Public
85$38,034
3Kent State University at Kent
Kent Public
48$29,183
4Miami University - Oxford
Oxford Public
38$43,150
5John Carroll University
University Heights Private not-for-profit
26$36,845
6University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati Public
24$42,507
7Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green Public
20$31,484
8Kenyon College
Gambier Private not-for-profit
19Not reported
9Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland Private not-for-profit
18Not reported
10Baldwin Wallace University
Berea Private not-for-profit
16Not reported
Show the other 28 Ohio colleges offering Sociology
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Cleveland State UniversityClevelandPublic16
Oberlin CollegeOberlinPrivate not-for-profit16
Wright State UniversityDaytonPublic12
Ohio Wesleyan UniversityDelawarePrivate not-for-profit11
The College of WoosterWoosterPrivate not-for-profit11
University of Akron Main CampusAkronPublic8
Wittenberg UniversitySpringfieldPrivate not-for-profit8
University of DaytonDaytonPrivate not-for-profit7
University of ToledoToledoPublic6
Central State UniversityWilberforcePublic5
Muskingum UniversityNew ConcordPrivate not-for-profit5
Sinclair Community CollegeDaytonPublic5
Hiram CollegeHiramPrivate not-for-profit4
Franciscan University of SteubenvilleSteubenvillePrivate not-for-profit4
Shawnee State UniversityPortsmouthPublic3
Xavier UniversityCincinnatiPrivate not-for-profit3
Youngstown State UniversityYoungstownPublic3
Cuyahoga Community College DistrictClevelandPublic2
Ohio Northern UniversityAdaPrivate not-for-profit2
Otterbein UniversityWestervillePrivate not-for-profit2
Owens Community CollegePerrysburgPublic2
Capital UniversityColumbusPrivate not-for-profit1
Kent State University at StarkNorth CantonPublic1
University of Mount UnionAlliancePrivate not-for-profit1
Ohio State University - Mansfield CampusMansfieldPublic1
Ohio University - Zanesville CampusZanesvillePublic1
Stark State CollegeNorth CantonPublic1
Wilberforce UniversityWilberforcePrivate not-for-profit1

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Sociologists (SOC 19-3041).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+3.6%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~300
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$101,690
typically Master's degree

Top skills

SpeakingActive ListeningWritingActive LearningReading ComprehensionCritical Thinking

What Sociologists earn in Ohio

Jobs in Ohio
130
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$84,440
median $78,850
Best-paying metro
$84,660
Columbus, OH

Related careers

Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary
$79,910 avg · 550 jobs
Social Science Research Assistants
$54,650 avg · 240 jobs
Social Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other
$83,460 avg · 200 jobs
Sociologists
$84,440 avg · 130 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Sociology programs in Ohio.

Which Ohio colleges award the most Sociology degrees?+

Ohio University (90 graduates a year), Ohio State University (85 graduates a year) and Kent State University at Kent (48 graduates a year) award the most Sociology degrees in Ohio, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 38 Ohio colleges offer Sociology.

What is the best college for Sociology in Ohio?+

By graduate earnings, Miami University - Oxford leads among bachelor's Sociology programs in Ohio, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $43,150, College Scorecard. University of Cincinnati and Ohio State University follow. By degrees awarded, Ohio University is the largest, with 90 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Sociology program in Ohio has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Miami University - Oxford tops the list at $43,150. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Sociologists earn in Ohio?+

The average annual wage for Sociologists in Ohio is $84,440 (median $78,850), across about 130 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Sociology program?+

Sociology is the scientific study of human society, focusing on social behavior, relationships, and cultural aspects of everyday life. This program is ideal for students interested in understanding the complexities of social interactions…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop speaking, active listening, writing, active learning, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Sociologists?+

The national job outlook is about +3.6% growth with around 300 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Master's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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