Sociology at Troy University

Troy's sociology program shows concerning numbers that require serious scrutiny, though the small sample size means these figures might not tell the full story. Graduates leave with $43,500 in debt—nearly double what sociology majors typically carry nationwide—yet earn just $26,803 in their first year. That's $7,500 below Alabama's median for the field and ranks in the bottom 5% nationally. While a 31% earnings jump to $35,000 by year four sounds promising, that's barely above what graduates from Auburn or University of North Alabama earn right out of the gate.

The debt burden stands out as the real problem here. Even after four years of career growth, graduates would still be earning less than their total debt load, making repayment a long grind. For a family considering this program, compare it to Auburn's sociology program where graduates start at $35,000—essentially matching Troy's four-year earnings—but with far less debt to manage.

Given the high debt, below-average starting pay, and the program's ranking at the 40th percentile within Alabama (meaning more than half of in-state options perform better), this represents a tough financial path. The small sample size offers a glimmer of hope that these numbers aren't representative, but parents shouldn't bet their child's financial future on that possibility without getting more concrete data from the university about typical graduate outcomes.