Sociology at Sam Houston State University

The first-year earnings of $24,612 are a serious concern—this places Sam Houston State's sociology program in just the 5th percentile nationally and the 25th percentile in Texas, where the state median is $32,956. Even accounting for the 85% strong earnings growth to $43,763 by year four, graduates start nearly $10,000 below what other Texas sociology majors earn right out of the gate. When UT Austin sociology grads earn $39,621 from day one, that initial earnings gap creates a meaningful financial disadvantage during the crucial debt repayment period.

The $29,000 debt load compounds this problem. While not catastrophic compared to the national median of $25,000, it creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.18 in year one—meaning graduates owe more than they'll earn in their first year of work. That's a tight squeeze for someone making just over $2,000 per month before taxes. The program serves a largely working-class population (40% receive Pell grants), which makes this early financial strain particularly difficult to weather.

The silver lining is genuine earnings growth over time, but prospective students should understand they're accepting several years of financial stress that peers at other Texas programs likely won't face. If your child is set on sociology at Sam Houston State, have a frank conversation about supplementary income, living at home initially, or pursuing specific career paths that might accelerate earnings beyond that challenging first year.