Sociology at Fort Lewis College

Fort Lewis College's sociology program produces some of the lowest earnings among Colorado's 14 sociology programs, landing in just the 25th percentile statewide. At $27,553 in the first year, graduates earn roughly $10,000 less than the state median and trail far behind comparable Western Slope schools like Western Colorado University ($43,178) and Adams State ($46,948). Even Adams State, serving a similar demographic with 50% Pell recipients, delivers 70% higher starting salaries. Nationally, this program ranks in the bottom 5% for earnings among more than 1,000 sociology programs.

The relatively modest debt load of $19,213 helps somewhat—it's below both state and national medians—but even favorable debt levels can't offset such low earnings. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70 means graduates face nearly nine months of gross income in debt for starting salaries that barely exceed $13 per hour. While earnings do grow 16% over four years to $32,059, that still leaves graduates earning less than most peers earned right out of college.

For families choosing Fort Lewis over other Colorado public universities, the sociology program represents a significant earnings penalty without meaningful savings on debt. Unless location in Durango is essential, Colorado families should seriously consider Metropolitan State, CU Denver, or even CU Boulder, all of which deliver 40-50% higher starting salaries for sociology graduates.