Sociology at University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Pitt's sociology graduates start at just over $30,000—well below both the national median ($34,102) and Pennsylvania's state median ($33,427). While the program ranks at the 40th percentile among Pennsylvania schools, that puts it $6,000 behind King's College and about $6,000 behind several mid-tier competitors like Arcadia and Wilkes. For a flagship state university with a 1371 average SAT score, these outcomes trail expectations.

The positive story here is trajectory: earnings climb 29% to nearly $39,000 by year four, suggesting graduates develop marketable skills over time. The $25,000 debt load is manageable relative to first-year earnings (0.83 ratio) and matches national medians. Still, even after four years of growth, graduates earn just slightly above what many peer programs deliver immediately after graduation.

If your child is committed to sociology at Pitt, the debt burden won't be crushing and earnings do improve. But understand they'll likely start behind peers from comparable Pennsylvania schools and spend several years catching up. If career earnings matter more than institutional prestige, programs like King's College deliver significantly stronger starting positions in this field.