U.S. median for this major: $52,120.
College Scorecard field of study; 36 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 57% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $26,146. College Scorecard.
BSU Sociology: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Sociology nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses BSU's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $7,834 | $32,981 | 9.9 years |
| $30–48k | $9,848 | $41,460 | 12.5 years |
| $48–75k | $14,333 | $60,342 | 18.2 years |
| $75–110k | $19,567 | $82,377 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $23,479 | $98,847 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (51% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Sociology graduates 4 years after graduating ($38,857) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $3,323 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Sociology at Indiana colleges
Every Indiana college we cover that reports Sociology graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Notre Dame | $69,704 | $19,800 | $26,780 | 95% |
| 2 | Franklin College | $58,827 | $27,000 | $22,855 | 60% |
| 3 | Indiana University-Bloomington | $56,591 | $19,464 | $16,264 | 80% |
| 4 | Purdue University | $55,072 | $20,500 | $14,600 | 83% |
| 5 | University of Southern Indianabachelor's & associate | $54,144 | — | $12,923 | 48% |
| 6 | Purdue University Northwest | $48,830 | $24,500 | $6,079 | 43% |
| 7 | Indiana University-Southeast | $45,610 | — | $7,888 | 39% |
| 8 | Indiana University-Indianapolis | $43,678 | $24,539 | $11,668 | 54% |
| 9 | Ball State University | $38,857 | $22,198 | $14,940 | 62% |
22 more Indiana colleges offer Sociology but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Sociology graduates
Social Science Research Assistants
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at BSU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About BSU
- Acceptance rate: 86% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 62% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $51,833
- Full cost breakdown · all 90 majors · overview
Related majors at BSU
- Psychology$48,421
- Social Work$50,321
- Political Science$58,953
- Economics—
BSU Sociology questions
How much do BSU Sociology graduates earn?
Sociology graduates of Ball State University earn a median $38,857 four years after graduating and $32,973 one year after. The U.S. median for Sociology graduates across 458 colleges is $52,120.
How much debt do BSU Sociology graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Sociology graduates of Ball State University is $22,198, about 57% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is BSU a good school for Sociology in Indiana?
On pay, Sociology graduates of Ball State University earn $38,857 four years out, $15,287 below the median for the same major across 9 Indiana colleges ($54,144) and $13,263 below the U.S. median ($52,120). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does BSU rank for Sociology in Indiana?
Of 9 Indiana colleges reporting Sociology graduate earnings, Ball State University ranks 9th; among the 8 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 8th. The highest is University of Notre Dame at $69,704.
What jobs do Sociology graduates get?
A common career is social science research assistants, with a median wage of $57,020 in Indiana and $61,990 nationally.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Ball State University Sociology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/ball-state-university/majors/sociology (College Scorecard and BLS data).