Sociology at Hamline University

Hamline's sociology program shows a significant earnings gap compared to other Minnesota options—ranking in just the 25th percentile statewide despite sitting near the national median. First-year graduates earn $33,894, roughly $6,600 less than the Minnesota median of $40,540 and trailing public universities like Winona State ($43,505) and Minnesota State Moorhead ($42,984) by nearly $10,000. For families weighing in-state private schools against Minnesota's strong public system, that's a substantial starting disadvantage.

The debt load of $27,000 matches the state average and is actually lower than the national benchmark, with a manageable 0.80 debt-to-earnings ratio. Earnings do grow 28% by year four to $43,450, which narrows the gap with other programs somewhat. However, given Hamline's 90% admission rate and the availability of stronger-performing public alternatives at lower tuition costs, families should carefully compare the total four-year investment here.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly year to year. If your student is drawn to Hamline specifically for community or campus fit, understand they'll likely need a clear career strategy to match the earnings of peers at Minnesota's public universities—or be prepared for a longer payback period on that degree investment.