U.S. median for this major: $52,120.
College Scorecard field of study; 145 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 43% 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 $32,198. College Scorecard.
MSU 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 MSU'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 | $7,068 | $29,968 | 1.0 years |
| $30–48k | $10,830 | $45,919 | 1.6 years |
| $48–75k | $16,521 | $70,049 | 2.4 years |
| $75–110k | $22,703 | $96,261 | 3.3 years |
| $110k+ | $28,546 | $121,035 | 4.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (65% 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 ($62,204) minus $33,411 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $28,793 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 Michigan colleges
Every Michigan college we cover that reports Sociology graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $63,419 | $18,568 | $13,138 | 93% |
| 2 | Michigan State University | $62,204 | $26,985 | $19,680 | 81% |
| 3 | Wayne State University | $55,499 | $30,422 | $12,766 | 58% |
| 4 | University of Michigan-Flint | $53,484 | — | $7,007 | 40% |
| 5 | Western Michigan University | $51,835 | $25,585 | $15,273 | 58% |
| 6 | Hope College | $50,222 | $24,488 | $27,182 | 80% |
| 7 | Grand Valley State University | $48,664 | $26,000 | $16,317 | 67% |
| 8 | Central Michigan University | $48,389 | $28,563 | $17,597 | 59% |
| 9 | Oakland University | $47,873 | $20,500 | $9,120 | 58% |
| 10 | Eastern Michigan University | $41,831 | $35,155 | $15,407 | 46% |
16 more Michigan 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 MSU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About MSU
- Acceptance rate: 85% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 81% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $67,253
- Full cost breakdown · all 105 majors · overview
Related majors at MSU
- Psychology$56,040
- Social Work$57,321
- Social Sciences$58,797
- Political Science$67,032
- Economics$79,428
MSU Sociology questions
How much do MSU Sociology graduates earn?
Sociology graduates of Michigan State University earn a median $62,204 four years after graduating and $35,055 one year after. The U.S. median for Sociology graduates across 458 colleges is $52,120.
How much debt do MSU Sociology graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Sociology graduates of Michigan State University is $26,985, about 43% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is MSU a good school for Sociology in Michigan?
On pay, Sociology graduates of Michigan State University earn $62,204 four years out, $11,176 above the median for the same major across 10 Michigan colleges ($51,028) and $10,084 above the U.S. median ($52,120). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does MSU rank for Sociology in Michigan?
Of 10 Michigan colleges reporting Sociology graduate earnings, Michigan State University ranks 2nd. The highest is University of Michigan-Ann Arbor at $63,419.
What jobs do Sociology graduates get?
A common career is social science research assistants, with a median wage of $64,220 in the Lansing-East Lansing, MI 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: “Michigan State University Sociology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/michigan-state-university/majors/sociology (College Scorecard and BLS data).