U.S. median for this major: $52,120.
College Scorecard field of study; 54 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 45% 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 $27,159. College Scorecard.
Cleveland State University 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 Cleveland State University'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 | $11,958 | $52,615 | 2.4 years |
| $30–48k | $13,561 | $59,668 | 2.7 years |
| $48–75k | $14,727 | $64,799 | 3.0 years |
| $75–110k | $15,690 | $69,036 | 3.2 years |
| $110k+ | $20,378 | $89,663 | 4.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (33% 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 ($57,211) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $21,773 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 Ohio colleges
Every Ohio 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 | Miami University-Oxford | $61,149 | $23,500 | $28,384 | 80% |
| 2 | Cleveland State University | $57,211 | $25,575 | $14,764 | 51% |
| 3 | John Carroll University | $57,173 | $27,000 | $28,746 | 79% |
| 4 | The College of Wooster | $56,115 | $27,000 | $23,458 | 74% |
| 5 | Walsh University | $55,867 | $28,000 | $20,493 | 59% |
| 6 | Ohio University-Eastern Campus | $51,312 | $25,000 | $3,925 | 21% |
| 7 | Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus | $51,312 | $25,000 | $5,755 | 14% |
| 8 | Ohio University-Southern Campusbachelor's & associate | $51,312 | $25,000 | $5,993 | 21% |
| 9 | Ohio University-Lancaster Campusbachelor's & associate | $51,312 | $25,000 | $5,650 | 14% |
| 10 | Ohio University | $51,312 | $25,000 | $21,637 | 65% |
| 11 | Ohio University-Zanesville Campus | $51,312 | $25,000 | $5,746 | 22% |
| 12 | Ohio State University-Mansfield Campusbachelor's & associate | $50,457 | $21,739 | $16,197 | 15% |
| 13 | Ohio State University | $50,457 | $21,739 | $17,339 | 88% |
| 14 | University of Cincinnati | $50,165 | $24,250 | $25,648 | 75% |
| 15 | Capital University | $48,785 | — | $22,576 | 60% |
| 16 | University of Dayton | $47,745 | — | $29,533 | 80% |
| 17 | Wittenberg University | $44,809 | — | $18,649 | 53% |
| 18 | Wright State University | $44,227 | — | $15,415 | 42% |
| 19 | Shawnee State University | $43,602 | $32,250 | $14,381 | 48% |
| 20 | Kent State University at Ashtabulamostly 2-year | $40,217 | $25,000 | $12,205 | 25% |
| 21 | Kent State University at Starkmostly 2-year | $40,217 | $25,000 | $10,897 | 37% |
| 22 | Kent State University at Kent | $40,217 | $25,000 | $20,787 | 64% |
| 23 | Hiram College | $39,277 | — | $21,058 | 55% |
| 24 | Bowling Green State University | $38,346 | $27,000 | $24,022 | 64% |
21 more Ohio 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 Cleveland State University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Cleveland State University
- Acceptance rate: 91% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 51% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $52,131
- Full cost breakdown · all 71 majors · overview
Related majors at Cleveland State University
- Psychology$46,090
- Social Work$48,571
- Social Sciences—
- Political Science$49,647
- Economics$62,852
- Criminology$52,713
Cleveland State University Sociology questions
How much do Cleveland State University Sociology graduates earn?
Sociology graduates of Cleveland State University earn a median $57,211 four years after graduating and $34,490 one year after. The U.S. median for Sociology graduates across 458 colleges is $52,120.
How much debt do Cleveland State University Sociology graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Sociology graduates of Cleveland State University is $25,575, about 45% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is Cleveland State University a good school for Sociology in Ohio?
On pay, Sociology graduates of Cleveland State University earn $57,211 four years out, $6,754 above the median for the same major across 24 Ohio colleges ($50,457) and $5,091 above the U.S. median ($52,120). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Cleveland State University rank for Sociology in Ohio?
Of 24 Ohio colleges reporting Sociology graduate earnings, Cleveland State University ranks 2nd. The highest is Miami University-Oxford at $61,149.
What jobs do Sociology graduates get?
A common career is social science research assistants, with a median wage of $24,810 in the Cleveland, OH area 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: “Cleveland State University Sociology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/cleveland-state-university/majors/sociology (College Scorecard and BLS data).