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MASTER'S DEGREE · DEGREE PAYOFF · FEDERAL FIELD 4511

Sociology: is this master's degree worth it?

National picture across 6 reporting college programs.

Personal baseline needed

$66,645 in median year-4 earnings

A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.

$66,645Median year-4 earnings

$14,965Average institution net-price context

Not availableMedian federal debt

Use your actual price and alternative earnings before evaluating return. Model your own starting point →

WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Observed national outcomes

$66,645Median reported earnings · year 4

$49,353Average reported earnings · year 5

Not availableMedian federal debt

28thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential

6Reporting programs

6With year-4 earnings

COMPARE CREDENTIAL LEVELS

The same field can produce a different equation.

Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.

OPEN PROFILE

Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma

Year-4 earnings: $51,562
Federal debt: $26,000
Reporting programs: 4

3 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Associate's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $45,161
Federal debt: $10,062
Reporting programs: 29

29 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Bachelor's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $52,094
Federal debt: $25,000
Reporting programs: 509

465 report earnings →CURRENT VIEW

Master's Degree

Year-4 earnings: $66,645
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 6

6 report earnings →OPEN PROFILE

Doctoral Degree

Year-4 earnings: $102,687
Federal debt: Not available
Reporting programs: 2

2 report earnings →

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median

25th percentile$65,008National median$66,64575th percentile$68,281

6 programs report year‑4 earnings.

WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Teachers College at Columbia University$93,752 2Texas State University$70,116 3University of Alabama at Birmingham$68,281 4Arizona State University Campus Immersion$65,008 5Arizona State University Digital Immersion$65,008 6California State University, Sacramento$59,203

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

WHERE THIS FIELD CAN LEAD

Related occupations

Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.

Managers, All OtherSOC 11-9199 · 4 crosswalk linksSociologistsSOC 19-3041 · 4 crosswalk linksSociology Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-1067 · 4 crosswalk linksSocial Science Research AssistantsSOC 19-4061 · 2 crosswalk linksSocial Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All OtherSOC 25-1069 · 2 crosswalk links

BEST COLLEGES FOR SOCIOLOGY

Same degree, different outcomes

Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. Automated ROI is withheld when an exact program price or personal earnings baseline is required.

#	College	Location	Earnings, year 4	Federal debt	ROI status	Cost context
1	Teachers College at Columbia UniversityMaster's Degree	New York, NY	$93,752	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
2	Texas State UniversityMaster's Degree	San Marcos, TX	$70,116	Not available	Baseline needed	$16,805
3	University of Alabama at BirminghamMaster's Degree	Birmingham, AL	$68,281	Not available	Baseline needed	$18,749
4	Arizona State University Campus ImmersionMaster's Degree	Tempe, AZ	$65,008	Not available	Baseline needed	$14,967
5	Arizona State University Digital ImmersionMaster's Degree	Scottsdale, AZ	$65,008	Not available	Baseline needed	Not available
6	California State University, SacramentoMaster's Degree	Sacramento, CA	$59,203	Not available	Baseline needed	$9,338

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.