Sociology bachelor's degree at Virginia State University
Petersburg, VA · 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 below similar programs.
$12,225 below the national median for the same field and degree level.
Debt as a share of earnings
76.7% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff
Not reached
Modeled 10-year payoff
−119% · 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.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$225,680
$8,000Annual price−$257,680
$16,000Current college-wide context−$289,680
$24,000Annual price−$321,680
$32,000Annual price−$353,680
$40,000Annual price−$385,680
OUTCOME SIGNALS
Graduate outcomes from several angles.
Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.
Not availableEarnings growth, year 1 → 5Not available → Not availableNot availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohortNot availableWorking in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohortNot availableYear-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 medianNot availableBorrowers representedCohort behind the debt medianNot availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credentialNot availableRecent 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.
73Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment15Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers53Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count44Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
18.1%Federal-aid non-completion rate2022–23 program cohort · 15 non-completers
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$35,969Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$40,432$4,463 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$15,840
Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.
02 · BORROWING$31,000
Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.
03 · EARNINGS$40,432
Observed median earnings four full years after completion.
04 · REPAYMENT$329/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.
Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.
Not availableYear 1
$40,432Year 4
Not availableYear 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?
9.8% 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$3,369
Estimated loan payment$329
Not availableborrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?
$40,432 vs. $52,657
$12,225 below 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$166,230 median wageVA estimate · 21,560 jobs · 11-9199$138,670–$195,190 middle 50% of VA 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$78,120 median wageVA estimate · 400 jobs · 25-1067$60,320–$97,580 middle 50% of VA wages+2.2% projected U.S. growth · 1,000 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSocial Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary, All Other$94,740 median wageVA estimate · 90 jobs · 25-1069$78,680–$112,720 middle 50% of VA wages+1.6% projected U.S. growth · 1,300 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSocial Science Research Assistants$53,260 median wageVA estimate · 700 jobs · 19-4061$45,880–$66,430 middle 50% of VA 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
Health Care and Social Assistance
about 31.5%02
Educational Services
about 17.8%03
Public Administration
about 16.5%04
Finance and Insurance
about 7.6%05
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
about 7.3%
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.
Norfolk, VA
Old Dominion University
$13,302 higher earnings · $4,900 less debt · $1,202 lower annual net price