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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Sociology bachelor's degree at Texas State University

San Marcos, TX · Public

What this page covers

Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to similar programs.

$777 above the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
46.8% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff
Not reached
Modeled 10-year payoff
−66% · Negative payoff
Available price data
College-wide context only
PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$53,434 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not the exact price of this program category. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

+35%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$37,263 → $50,392
55Earn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
71Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
78Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
121Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
$24,059Awarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
0Recent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

182Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
38Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
100Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
107Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
6.8%Federal-aid non-completion rate2022–23 program cohort · 15 non-completers
88Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$33,298Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$53,434$20,136 above the preliminary benchmark

Additional borrowing reported for this category: 15 Parent PLUS borrowers.

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$16,805

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWING$25,000

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$53,434

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$265/mo

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

Enter my price →
AVERAGE NET PRICE$16,805Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$28,073Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE89.3%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE55.3%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$37,263Year 1
$53,434Year 4
$50,392Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

6.0% of gross monthly earnings

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$4,453
Estimated loan payment$265
121borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$53,434 vs. $52,657

$777 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Managers, All Other$134,390 median wageTX estimate · 61,410 jobs · 11-9199$102,620–$173,480 middle 50% of TX wages+4.9% projected U.S. growth · 100,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeSociologists$106,030 median wageU.S. estimate · 2,260 jobs · 19-3041+3.8% projected U.S. growth · 200 openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeSociology Teachers, Postsecondary$81,220 median wageTX estimate · 1,040 jobs · 25-1067$61,670–$101,880 middle 50% of TX wages+2.2% projected U.S. growth · 1,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSocial Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other$73,750 median wageTX estimate · 1,530 jobs · 25-1069$49,990–$99,230 middle 50% of TX wages+1.6% projected U.S. growth · 1,300 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSocial Science Research Assistants$58,070 median wageTX estimate · 1,180 jobs · 19-4061$44,950–$77,130 middle 50% of TX wages+5.0% projected U.S. growth · 4,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degree
CENSUS EMPLOYMENT DESTINATIONS

Where graduates work five years later

The leading industries employing graduates in this college, broad field and credential group.

01

Educational Services

about 16.9%
02

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

about 15.9%
03

Public Administration

about 9.2%
04

Health Care and Social Assistance

about 8.7%
05

Finance and Insurance

about 6.8%

How to read this: This is an observed industry mix, not a list of job titles or proof that every graduate worked in the field studied. Counts and shares are approximate because Census privacy protections add statistical noise.

Coverage is limited to institutions and states participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program. These figures do not affect DegreeVerdict ROI calculations.

Download the official Census source file →
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Fort Worth, TX

Texas Christian University

$8,958 higher earnings · $1,813 less debt

Earnings
$62,392
Debt
$23,187
Annual net price
$36,660
View outcomes →
Austin, TX

The University of Texas at Austin

$5,373 higher earnings · $2,000 less debt

Earnings
$58,807
Debt
$23,000
Annual net price
$19,857
View outcomes →
College Station, TX

Texas A&M University-College Station

$4,423 higher earnings · $6,000 less debt

Earnings
$57,857
Debt
$19,000
Annual net price
$21,315
View outcomes →
Edinburg, TX

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

$4,373 higher earnings · $11,974 lower annual net price

Earnings
$57,807
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$4,831
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

78 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

Calculate my payoff →