Sociology and Anthropology at University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth

UMass Dartmouth's sociology and anthropology graduates earn notably more than typical grads in this field—$34,388 versus a national median of just $28,378—placing them in the 86th percentile nationally. With only $27,000 in debt (5th percentile, meaning among the lowest debt loads anywhere), the 0.79 debt-to-earnings ratio is quite manageable. First-year earnings cover the total debt in under a year, which is better than many social science programs achieve.

The caveat here matters: these figures come from a very small graduating class (under 30 students), so they might not reflect typical outcomes. One exceptionally successful or struggling graduate could skew the numbers significantly. It's also worth noting that UMass Dartmouth is the only school in the state benchmark data, so the 60th percentile state ranking simply reflects its position against itself—not a meaningful comparison.

For a family seeking an affordable humanities education, this program combines reasonable debt with above-average earnings for the field. The open-access admission (92% acceptance rate) makes it accessible, while the low debt burden reduces financial risk. Just remember that sociology typically isn't a high-earning field regardless of where you study it, and the small sample size here means your child's experience could differ from these averages. If they're committed to social sciences and want to avoid excessive debt, this represents a relatively safe bet.