U.S. median for this major: $52,120.
College Scorecard field of study; 26 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 59% 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 $20,749. College Scorecard.
University of Houston-Downtown 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 University of Houston-Downtown'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 | $9,439 | $44,835 | 3.6 years |
| $30–48k | $10,048 | $47,728 | 3.8 years |
| $48–75k | $11,247 | $53,423 | 4.2 years |
| $75–110k | $15,488 | $73,568 | 5.8 years |
| $110k+ | $19,380 | $92,055 | 7.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.8 years, the average time graduates took (15% 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 ($46,106) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in TX (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $12,590 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 Texas colleges
Every Texas 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 | Texas Christian University | $62,392 | $23,187 | $36,660 | 86% |
| 2 | The University of Texas at Austin | $58,807 | $23,000 | $19,857 | 89% |
| 3 | Texas A&M University-College Station | $57,857 | $19,000 | $21,315 | 84% |
| 4 | Baylor University | $57,822 | $25,937 | $41,104 | 80% |
| 5 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | $57,807 | — | $4,831 | 51% |
| 6 | The University of Texas at Arlington | $54,401 | $30,941 | $13,951 | 54% |
| 7 | University of North Texas at Dallas | $53,689 | — | $6,420 | 42% |
| 8 | Texas State University | $53,434 | $25,000 | $16,805 | 55% |
| 9 | Texas Woman's University | $52,196 | $33,719 | $11,963 | 49% |
| 10 | Texas Tech University | $51,527 | $25,000 | $19,070 | 69% |
| 11 | University of North Texas | $49,257 | $21,782 | $15,649 | 61% |
| 12 | The University of Texas at Dallas | $46,551 | — | $18,267 | 76% |
| 13 | University of Houston-Downtown | $46,106 | $27,375 | $10,542 | 33% |
| 14 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | $45,866 | $24,490 | $10,836 | 53% |
| 15 | University of Houston | $45,530 | $18,500 | $14,276 | 65% |
| 16 | East Texas A&M University | $45,301 | $26,490 | $11,841 | 43% |
| 17 | Texas A&M University-San Antonio | $45,191 | $17,458 | $11,196 | 40% |
| 18 | Texas A & M International University | $44,654 | $15,812 | $3,637 | 46% |
| 19 | Lamar University | $44,286 | $36,615 | $9,366 | 37% |
| 20 | Wiley University | $42,714 | — | $7,092 | 24% |
| 21 | Sam Houston State University | $42,152 | $29,000 | $16,404 | 55% |
| 22 | McMurry University | $41,749 | — | $19,581 | 44% |
| 23 | Midwestern State University | $39,067 | — | $11,656 | 43% |
| 24 | The University of Texas at El Paso | $35,325 | $22,328 | $9,403 | 50% |
33 more Texas 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 University of Houston-Downtown, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About University of Houston-Downtown
- Acceptance rate: 90% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 33% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $53,551
- Full cost breakdown · all 43 majors · overview
Related majors at University of Houston-Downtown
- Psychology$48,234
- Social Work$54,784
- Social Sciences—
- Political Science$59,261
University of Houston-Downtown Sociology questions
How much do University of Houston-Downtown Sociology graduates earn?
Sociology graduates of University of Houston-Downtown earn a median $46,106 four years after graduating and $31,555 one year after. The U.S. median for Sociology graduates across 458 colleges is $52,120.
How much debt do University of Houston-Downtown Sociology graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Sociology graduates of University of Houston-Downtown is $27,375, about 59% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is University of Houston-Downtown a good school for Sociology in Texas?
On pay, Sociology graduates of University of Houston-Downtown earn $46,106 four years out, $222 below the median for the same major across 24 Texas colleges ($46,328) and $6,014 below the U.S. median ($52,120). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does University of Houston-Downtown rank for Sociology in Texas?
Of 24 Texas colleges reporting Sociology graduate earnings, University of Houston-Downtown ranks 13th. The highest is Texas Christian University at $62,392.
What jobs do Sociology graduates get?
A common career is social science research assistants, with a median wage of $49,000 in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 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: “University of Houston-Downtown Sociology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-houston-downtown/majors/sociology (College Scorecard and BLS data).