U.S. median for this major: $52,120.
College Scorecard field of study; 44 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 47% 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 $28,108. College Scorecard.
State University of New York at Cortland 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 State University of New York at Cortland'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 | $12,550 | $52,710 | 2.8 years |
| $30–48k | $16,453 | $69,103 | 3.7 years |
| $48–75k | $20,102 | $84,428 | 4.5 years |
| $75–110k | $21,636 | $90,871 | 4.8 years |
| $110k+ | $25,853 | $108,583 | 5.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (56% 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 ($53,524) minus $34,633 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NY (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $18,891 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 New York colleges
Every New York 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 | Columbia University in the City of New York | $101,536 | $31,000 | $21,590 | 96% |
| 2 | Barnard College | $77,821 | $15,899 | $28,800 | 93% |
| 3 | New York University | $77,650 | $18,875 | $37,050 | 88% |
| 4 | Cornell University | $73,200 | $11,900 | $28,690 | 95% |
| 5 | Fordham University | $71,581 | $25,000 | $44,338 | 82% |
| 6 | Hobart William Smith Colleges | $67,556 | $26,500 | $31,563 | 77% |
| 7 | Wagner College | $67,061 | — | $28,241 | 65% |
| 8 | Syracuse University | $67,044 | $24,750 | $38,793 | 84% |
| 9 | Hartwick College | $65,765 | $27,000 | $31,320 | 53% |
| 10 | CUNY Brooklyn College | $65,606 | — | $3,103 | 54% |
| 11 | SUNY College at Geneseo | $65,234 | $21,226 | $18,211 | 71% |
| 12 | Binghamton University | $64,797 | $25,500 | $21,620 | 82% |
| 13 | Siena College | $64,070 | — | $33,733 | 75% |
| 14 | University of Mount Saint Vincent | $61,964 | $25,500 | $21,696 | 57% |
| 15 | Manhattanville University | $61,752 | $26,000 | $20,991 | 58% |
| 16 | Vassar College | $61,106 | — | $39,343 | 91% |
| 17 | CUNY York College | $59,899 | $14,650 | $4,456 | 32% |
| 18 | Le Moyne College | $59,291 | — | $22,277 | 73% |
| 19 | Stony Brook University | $58,966 | $21,250 | $18,784 | 76% |
| 20 | Hofstra University | $58,483 | $25,968 | $34,176 | 69% |
| 21 | Canisius University | $58,469 | — | $17,940 | 66% |
| 22 | CUNY Hunter College | $57,965 | $10,750 | $2,984 | 57% |
| 23 | University at Albany | $57,508 | $24,358 | $17,167 | 61% |
| 24 | State University of New York at Plattsburgh | $56,704 | $25,940 | $17,156 | 59% |
| 25 | CUNY Queens College | $56,550 | $15,750 | $4,195 | 53% |
| 26 | CUNY City College | $55,683 | $11,000 | $3,776 | 57% |
| 27 | CUNY Lehman College | $54,906 | $11,247 | $3,148 | 51% |
| 28 | University at Buffalo | $54,382 | $18,945 | $20,995 | 75% |
| 29 | St Bonaventure University | $53,783 | $26,000 | $27,074 | 67% |
| 30 | State University of New York at Cortland | $53,524 | $25,379 | $22,345 | 68% |
| 31 | SUNY Oneonta | $53,396 | $22,248 | $19,158 | 69% |
| 32 | SUNY at Purchase College | $53,042 | $19,949 | $18,913 | 63% |
| 33 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | $51,979 | $14,125 | $3,203 | 56% |
| 34 | State University of New York at Oswego | $51,537 | $27,282 | $16,236 | 60% |
| 35 | State University of New York at New Paltz | $51,290 | $24,091 | $18,809 | 72% |
| 36 | SUNY College at Potsdam | $51,086 | $26,000 | $13,624 | 45% |
| 37 | SUNY Buffalo State University | $49,595 | $26,000 | $11,346 | 33% |
| 38 | SUNY Old Westbury | $49,308 | $23,503 | $11,282 | 45% |
| 39 | SUNY Brockport | $47,738 | $24,456 | $16,353 | 55% |
| 40 | Mercy University | $47,552 | — | $14,072 | 46% |
| 41 | Ithaca College | $38,727 | $25,000 | $33,926 | 76% |
33 more New York 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 State University of New York at Cortland, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About State University of New York at Cortland
- Acceptance rate: 60% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 68% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $60,236
- Full cost breakdown · all 51 majors · overview
Related majors at State University of New York at Cortland
- Psychology$56,366
- Political Science$60,296
- Economics—
- Criminology$56,593
State University of New York at Cortland Sociology questions
How much do State University of New York at Cortland Sociology graduates earn?
Sociology graduates of State University of New York at Cortland earn a median $53,524 four years after graduating and $33,837 one year after. The U.S. median for Sociology graduates across 458 colleges is $52,120.
How much debt do State University of New York at Cortland Sociology graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Sociology graduates of State University of New York at Cortland is $25,379, about 47% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is State University of New York at Cortland a good school for Sociology in New York?
On pay, Sociology graduates of State University of New York at Cortland earn $53,524 four years out, $4,945 below the median for the same major across 41 New York colleges ($58,469) and $1,404 above the U.S. median ($52,120). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does State University of New York at Cortland rank for Sociology in New York?
Of 41 New York colleges reporting Sociology graduate earnings, State University of New York at Cortland ranks 30th. The highest is Columbia University in the City of New York at $101,536.
What jobs do Sociology graduates get?
A common career is social science research assistants, with a median wage of $61,210 in New York 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: “State University of New York at Cortland Sociology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/state-university-of-new-york-at-cortland/majors/sociology (College Scorecard and BLS data).