Sociology at Loyola University New Orleans

At $26,581 in first-year earnings, Loyola's sociology program lands squarely in the middle of Louisiana's offerings—about where you'd find LSU—but trails the national median by nearly $8,000. That gap matters because the debt load ($25,621) is right at the national average, creating a nearly 1:1 debt-to-earnings ratio that means your graduate will owe almost their entire first year's salary. For context, sociology grads at Nicholls State earn about $4,000 more annually while carrying similar debt, giving them meaningfully more breathing room for loan payments.

The small sample size here (under 30 graduates) adds uncertainty—outcomes could look different with more data. But the pattern is concerning: while Loyola charges private school tuition, it's producing earnings comparable to Louisiana's public universities. The 40th percentile state ranking suggests this program isn't breaking through to higher-paying opportunities that might justify the cost.

If your child is passionate about sociology, Louisiana's public options deliver similar or better earnings outcomes at a lower price point. Unless Loyola offers something specific your family values—network, location, institutional fit—this program appears to price itself above what the job market will bear. The math simply works better elsewhere for this degree.