Sociology Schools and Programs in The United States

Sociology Studies in The United States

Sociology is the study of society and social behaviour: the groups, cultures, institutions and processes that develop when people interact and work together. In the United States it is one of the standard majors in the liberal arts and is taught at almost every type of institution. This directory lists it at 188 schools, from community colleges and small liberal arts colleges to large public and private research universities.

How the degree is organised

US undergraduate education is based on the liberal arts and sciences. According to EducationUSA, a bachelor's degree is usually completed in four years of full-time study, and students often declare their major at the end of the second year. Sociology students therefore take general education courses alongside the major, and many combine sociology with a second major or a minor.

• Associate degree at a community college, two years, often designed for transfer to a university
• Bachelor's degree (usually a BA) with a major in Sociology, about four years
• Master's degree (MA), described by EducationUSA as a two-year degree
• PhD, five to eight years according to EducationUSA, needed for most academic and research posts

The major is usually compact. At The University of Chicago, for example, it consists of nine required courses: an introduction to sociology, sociological theory, two methods courses, a course on the logic of social inquiry and four further sociology courses, with an optional BA project. Research methods and statistics are part of nearly every programme. At many universities students declare the major without a separate selection; the University of Wisconsin-Madison states that no application is required.

Community colleges offer the first two years. EducationUSA describes the "2+2 process": two years of community college followed by two years of university study for the bachelor's degree. Pasadena City College in California, for example, offers an associate degree for transfer in Sociology, after which students move to a university to complete a BA.

Where to study sociology in the United States

Examples from this directory and the schools' own sites:

• The University of California Los Angeles, whose Department of Sociology was founded in 1948 and states that it has around 1,500 undergraduate majors and over 100 graduate students
• University of Wisconsin-Madison, whose BA in Sociology includes an optional concentration in analysis and research
• The University of Chicago, with a nine-course major and an optional BA thesis
• Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, which stresses critical analysis, statistical methods, theory and field research
• Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, which besides the major offers a Sociology minor and a Medical Sociology minor
• Pasadena City College and other community colleges, for an associate degree and transfer

The directory also lists sociology at, among others, The Ohio State University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Michigan, Stanford University, University of Washington, Cornell University, Yale University, San Diego State University and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.

Admission and visa

Students apply directly to each institution; there is no national application system. EducationUSA, the US State Department's advising network, recommends starting the search 12 to 18 months before the academic year and states that US universities require an English language proficiency test before admission. Sociology has no specific subject requirements from secondary school, but good writing and some mathematics help with the methods courses. Degree students study on an F student visa, which is issued for study at an accredited college or university. Recognition of credits and degrees by other institutions and by employers is linked to the institution's accreditation, so it is worth checking before applying.

Costs and funding

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), average tuition and fees at 4-year institutions in 2022-23 were $9,800 at public institutions and $40,700 at private nonprofit institutions. The public figure is the in-state rate; international students normally pay more. Community colleges usually charge less than 4-year institutions, which is one reason students choose the 2+2 route. For PhD students, EducationUSA notes that working as a graduate teaching or research assistant in exchange for a tuition waiver or a stipend is very common.

Careers

A bachelor's degree in sociology is a general qualification rather than a professional licence. According to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, career opportunities for sociology majors include business, counselling and social service, public policy, law and criminal justice; Northwestern University mentions law, medicine and public health, consulting, finance, and non-profit and public administration.

Working as a sociologist in the strict sense is a small, research-based occupation. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that sociologists typically need at least a master's degree, and that some employers prefer a PhD. The median annual wage for sociologists was $106,030 in May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 200 openings a year.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to study sociology in the United States?

A bachelor's degree usually takes four years. A master's adds about two years, and a PhD takes five to eight years.

Can I start a sociology degree at a community college?

Yes. Community colleges offer two-year associate degrees, and in the 2+2 model students transfer to a university for the last two years of the bachelor's degree.

What can I do with a sociology degree?

Graduates work in fields such as social services, business, public policy, law and education. To work as a sociologist in research, the BLS states that a master's degree is typically the minimum.