Sociology at Metropolitan State University of Denver

Metropolitan State's sociology program shows remarkably strong first-year outcomes—graduates earn $42,022, placing them in the 95th percentile nationally and well above the $34,102 national median. However, the 60th percentile ranking among Colorado programs tells a more nuanced story: while this beats most sociology programs nationwide, it's merely middle-of-the-pack within the state. The $26,000 debt load sits between national and state medians, creating a manageable 0.62 debt-to-earnings ratio that graduates can reasonably handle.

The 25% earnings growth to $52,565 by year four is encouraging, suggesting graduates find traction in the Denver job market. For a school with a 99% admission rate serving a large Pell-eligible population, these results represent solid economic mobility. That said, the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift considerably year to year—this isn't a large, established pipeline.

For Colorado families, this is a practical choice: your child gets competitive sociology earnings at an accessible institution, with debt that won't derail their twenties. It won't match the prestige of CU Boulder, but it delivers comparable economic outcomes at a fraction of the stress and competition. Just understand you're looking at thin data that may not fully represent what your student will experience.