U.S. median for this major: $52,120.
College Scorecard field of study; 40 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 $30,785. College Scorecard.
SU 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 SU'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 | $18,709 | $81,197 | 6.7 years |
| $30–48k | $18,515 | $80,355 | 6.7 years |
| $48–75k | $21,386 | $92,815 | 7.7 years |
| $75–110k | $25,469 | $110,535 | 9.2 years |
| $110k+ | $28,387 | $123,200 | 10.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (36% 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 ($47,841) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $12,044 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 Pennsylvania colleges
Every Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania | $72,217 | $11,600 | $28,699 | 97% |
| 2 | La Salle University | $64,953 | $27,500 | $19,409 | 57% |
| 3 | Franklin and Marshall College | $63,251 | $19,000 | $36,425 | 84% |
| 4 | Moravian University | $62,315 | $27,000 | $30,670 | 72% |
| 5 | Wilkes University | $58,006 | $26,000 | $27,743 | 63% |
| 6 | Duquesne University | $55,050 | $26,983 | $37,730 | 77% |
| 7 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | $54,329 | $26,000 | $20,787 | 58% |
| 8 | Albright College | $53,702 | $25,500 | $20,024 | 51% |
| 9 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | $53,273 | $27,000 | $18,134 | 43% |
| 10 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | $51,654 | $25,000 | $15,350 | 48% |
| 11 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | $51,654 | $25,000 | $18,202 | 56% |
| 12 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $51,654 | $25,000 | $30,434 | 86% |
| 13 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | $50,984 | $29,119 | $15,699 | 54% |
| 14 | Lincoln University | $50,141 | — | $14,977 | 44% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | $49,197 | $26,000 | $23,330 | 26% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania State University | $49,197 | $26,000 | $32,875 | 86% |
| 17 | Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | $47,889 | — | $14,265 | 41% |
| 18 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | $47,851 | $27,000 | $16,804 | 56% |
| 19 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | $47,841 | $27,250 | $23,726 | 56% |
| 20 | Temple University | $47,631 | $26,000 | $28,198 | 75% |
| 21 | Westminster College | $47,502 | — | $19,859 | 65% |
| 22 | Lebanon Valley College | $46,836 | — | $26,979 | 65% |
| 23 | Bryn Mawr College | $42,666 | — | $31,759 | 82% |
| 24 | Pennsylvania Western University | $42,662 | — | $18,256 | 52% |
39 more Pennsylvania 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 SU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About SU
- Acceptance rate: 87% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 56% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $56,351
- Full cost breakdown · all 41 majors · overview
Related majors at SU
- Psychology$51,607
- Social Work$49,794
- Political Science$55,295
- Economics—
SU Sociology questions
How much do SU Sociology graduates earn?
Sociology graduates of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania earn a median $47,841 four years after graduating. The U.S. median for Sociology graduates across 458 colleges is $52,120.
How much debt do SU Sociology graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Sociology graduates of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is $27,250, about 57% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is SU a good school for Sociology in Pennsylvania?
On pay, Sociology graduates of Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania earn $47,841 four years out, $3,478 below the median for the same major across 24 Pennsylvania colleges ($51,319) and $4,279 below the U.S. median ($52,120). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does SU rank for Sociology in Pennsylvania?
Of 24 Pennsylvania colleges reporting Sociology graduate earnings, Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ranks 19th. The highest is University of Pennsylvania at $72,217.
What jobs do Sociology graduates get?
A common career is social science research assistants, with a median wage of $50,450 in the Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 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: “Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Sociology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/shippensburg-university-of-pennsylvania/majors/sociology (College Scorecard and BLS data).