Indiana University-Indianapolis Sociology: earnings, debt & careers

Sociology graduates of Indiana University-Indianapolis earn a median $43,678 four years after graduating ($30,939 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $24,539. That is $8,442 below the U.S. median for Sociology graduates ($52,120 across 458 colleges), and ranks 8th of 9 Indiana colleges (7th of 8 among colleges that mostly award bachelor's degrees).

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$43,678

U.S. median for this major: $52,120.

College Scorecard field of study; 43 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$30,939

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$24,539

About 56% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$11,668 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $23,316. College Scorecard.

Indiana University-Indianapolis Sociology: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Indiana University-Indianapolis graduates$43,678
Indiana median (9 colleges)$54,144 (−$10,466)
U.S. median (458 colleges)$52,120 (−$8,442)

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 Indiana University-Indianapolis's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$5,701$24,7423.0 years
$30–48k$5,995$26,0183.2 years
$48–75k$11,038$47,9055.9 years
$75–110k$18,056$78,3639.6 years
$110k+$20,680$89,75111.0 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (39% 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 ($43,678) minus $35,534 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IN (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $8,144 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.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Notre Dame$69,704$19,800$26,78095%
2Franklin College$58,827$27,000$22,85560%
3Indiana University-Bloomington$56,591$19,464$16,26480%
4Purdue University$55,072$20,500$14,60083%
5University of Southern Indianabachelor's & associate$54,144—$12,92348%
6Purdue University Northwest$48,830$24,500$6,07943%
7Indiana University-Southeast$45,610—$7,88839%
8Indiana University-Indianapolis$43,678$24,539$11,66854%
9Ball State University$38,857$22,198$14,94062%

22 more Indiana colleges offer Sociology but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Sociology graduates

Social Science Research Assistants

Indianapolis area$57,020
Indiana$57,020
U.S.$61,990

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 Indiana University-Indianapolis, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Indiana University-Indianapolis

Related majors at Indiana University-Indianapolis

Indiana University-Indianapolis Sociology questions

How much do Indiana University-Indianapolis Sociology graduates earn?

Sociology graduates of Indiana University-Indianapolis earn a median $43,678 four years after graduating and $30,939 one year after. The U.S. median for Sociology graduates across 458 colleges is $52,120.

How much debt do Indiana University-Indianapolis Sociology graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Sociology graduates of Indiana University-Indianapolis is $24,539, about 56% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.

Is Indiana University-Indianapolis a good school for Sociology in Indiana?

On pay, Sociology graduates of Indiana University-Indianapolis earn $43,678 four years out, $10,466 below the median for the same major across 9 Indiana colleges ($54,144) and $8,442 below the U.S. median ($52,120). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Indiana University-Indianapolis rank for Sociology in Indiana?

Of 9 Indiana colleges reporting Sociology graduate earnings, Indiana University-Indianapolis ranks 8th; among the 8 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 7th. 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 the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN area and $61,990 nationally.

Is Indiana University-Indianapolis the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing Indiana University-Indianapolis with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

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: “Indiana University-Indianapolis Sociology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/indiana-university-indianapolis/majors/sociology (College Scorecard and BLS data).