Sociology at Saint Leo University

Saint Leo's sociology graduates earn substantially more than typical sociology majors—$39,498 in the first year puts them in the 88th percentile nationally and above even UNF's stronger program. That's impressive for a field often criticized for weak earnings. The real question is whether those outcomes justify borrowing nearly $47,000, roughly double what sociology students typically take on nationwide.

The debt level creates genuine tension. While first-year earnings exceed Florida's median by $6,000, that advantage shrinks when you're managing loan payments that are 19% higher than your annual salary. Four years out, earnings climb to $45,627—solid growth for sociology—but you're still carrying debt that would typically be considered manageable only for technical or healthcare fields. For context, Florida sociology majors typically borrow just $23,125, meaning Saint Leo students are financing an additional $24,000 for earnings that, while above average, aren't dramatically higher than state norms.

This works if your family values the specific Saint Leo experience and can minimize borrowing through scholarships or family contribution. If you're looking purely at return on investment, Florida's public universities deliver comparable sociology outcomes at half the debt load. The earnings are legitimately strong, but sociology isn't a field where premium tuition prices typically pay for themselves through salary alone.