Sociology at University of Rhode Island

URI's Sociology program shows impressive first-year outcomes that rank in the 95th percentile nationally—rare for any bachelor's program, let alone in the humanities. At $42,554, graduates earn roughly $8,000 more than the typical sociology graduate nationwide. The $23,250 debt load translates to a manageable 0.55 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates owe just over half of their first-year salary. Earnings climb steadily to $50,579 by year four, suggesting decent career progression.

The state picture adds nuance: this program sits at the 60th percentile among Rhode Island sociology programs, meaning three other RI schools produce higher-earning graduates. Still, URI outpaces both Rhode Island College and Providence College by significant margins. For a school with a 77% admission rate, these outcomes punch above weight class.

The critical caveat here is sample size—fewer than 30 graduates reported data, which means a few high earners (perhaps those who pivoted into business, analytics, or public health) could be skewing results upward. These numbers might not reflect what a typical graduate experiences. If this data holds at scale, it's an excellent value. But anxious parents should recognize they're looking at a small snapshot, not a complete picture of what this program typically delivers.