Sociology at University of North Carolina Asheville

With a sample size under 30 graduates, these numbers may not be reliable, but what they show is troubling enough to warrant serious caution. UNC-Asheville's sociology graduates earn $18,869 in their first year—less than half what sociology grads typically make in North Carolina ($31,728) and far below the national median. This places the program in the bottom 10% statewide and bottom 5% nationally. Even accounting for Asheville's lower cost of living, these are poverty-level wages for a college graduate.

The one encouraging sign is the 92% earnings jump by year four, reaching $36,180. That's a substantial recovery that brings graduates closer to typical outcomes. However, that four-year trajectory means spending your early twenties significantly underearning peers from other NC schools—Duke and Wake Forest sociology grads start near $45,000, and even regional universities like NC State and UNC-Pembroke place graduates $15,000+ ahead in year one.

The modest debt load ($23,250) is the program's saving grace, keeping the situation from being catastrophic. But given the tiny sample size, these figures could easily look different with a full cohort. If your child is set on sociology, other NC public universities appear to offer better launching points without necessarily higher debt burdens.