U.S. median for this major: $52,120.
College Scorecard field of study; 87 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 53% 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 $22,756. College Scorecard.
UWM 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 UWM'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 | $10,329 | $46,894 | 3.9 years |
| $30–48k | $10,709 | $48,619 | 4.1 years |
| $48–75k | $12,344 | $56,042 | 4.7 years |
| $75–110k | $19,315 | $87,690 | 7.4 years |
| $110k+ | $21,477 | $97,506 | 8.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (28% 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 ($49,486) minus $37,564 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WI (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $11,922 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 Wisconsin colleges
Every Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin-Madison | $58,007 | $17,802 | $17,354 | 90% |
| 2 | Marquette University | $57,131 | $23,718 | $31,487 | 83% |
| 3 | Beloit College | $53,351 | $27,000 | $21,526 | 71% |
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | $50,827 | $26,250 | $14,158 | 59% |
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | $50,737 | $25,000 | $16,210 | 71% |
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | $49,486 | $26,000 | $15,014 | 49% |
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point | $48,451 | $25,968 | $14,559 | 51% |
| 8 | Saint Norbert College | $48,357 | $26,000 | $26,172 | 71% |
| 9 | University of Wisconsin-Parkside | $46,005 | $26,250 | $11,772 | 40% |
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls | $45,741 | — | $14,054 | 57% |
| 11 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | $36,421 | $21,500 | $16,550 | 64% |
8 more Wisconsin 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 UWM, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About UWM
- Acceptance rate: 91% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 49% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $54,990
- Full cost breakdown · all 89 majors · overview
Related majors at UWM
- Psychology$52,328
- Psychology (Research)—
- Social Work$50,392
- Political Science$51,320
- Economics$64,454
- Criminology—
UWM Sociology questions
How much do UWM Sociology graduates earn?
Sociology graduates of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee earn a median $49,486 four years after graduating and $36,452 one year after. The U.S. median for Sociology graduates across 458 colleges is $52,120.
How much debt do UWM Sociology graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Sociology graduates of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is $26,000, about 53% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,000.
Is UWM a good school for Sociology in Wisconsin?
On pay, Sociology graduates of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee earn $49,486 four years out, $0 above the median for the same major across 11 Wisconsin colleges ($49,486) and $2,634 below the U.S. median ($52,120). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does UWM rank for Sociology in Wisconsin?
Of 11 Wisconsin colleges reporting Sociology graduate earnings, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee ranks 6th. The highest is University of Wisconsin-Madison at $58,007.
What jobs do Sociology graduates get?
A common career is social science research assistants, with a median wage of $48,090 in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin-Milwaukee Sociology: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-milwaukee/majors/sociology (College Scorecard and BLS data).