Sociology at Arkansas State University

Arkansas State's sociology program carries debt that should concern any parent watching their budget. At $38,064, graduates leave with 52% more debt than the typical sociology program—and that matters when first-year earnings barely reach $34,000. This program ranks in the bottom 5% nationally for student debt, meaning 95 out of 100 similar programs saddle students with less financial burden.

The earnings picture offers little compensation for this debt load. While graduates do slightly outperform other Arkansas sociology programs (60th percentile in-state), they're essentially at the national median and earn only marginally more than peers at the University of Arkansas, who graduate with significantly less debt. The modest 5% earnings growth over four years means students aren't rapidly growing into their debt burden—they're treading water. For context, the university serves a substantial population of Pell-eligible students (37%), making this debt disparity particularly troubling.

If your child is set on sociology, look hard at University of Arkansas or other state options where the debt load is more manageable. The career outcomes here simply don't justify borrowing nearly $40,000, especially in a field where starting salaries hover around $34,000. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.12 means your child would owe more than a full year's salary—a difficult position from which to launch an independent life.