Sociology at University of Southern Indiana

University of Southern Indiana's sociology program stands out nationally, with first-year earnings of $40,255 placing it in the 93rd percentile—well above the national median of $34,102 for sociology bachelor's degrees. While the debt figure is estimated from comparable Indiana programs at $21,596, the resulting debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.54 suggests graduates could reasonably expect to manage repayment, particularly given these strong early earnings.

What makes this particularly interesting is that USI outearns even selective institutions in the state. Its sociology graduates are projected to earn more than those from Notre Dame ($35,915) and Purdue's main campus ($36,826), despite USI's 95% admission rate and more accessible profile. This isn't typical for sociology programs, where earnings often cluster tightly regardless of institution. The 8% earnings growth to $43,406 by year four is modest but steady.

The caveat is that we're working with estimated debt rather than actual figures for USI's sociology graduates specifically. If actual borrowing runs higher than the state average used for this estimate, the financial picture would shift. Still, even with some uncertainty around debt, the earnings performance is concrete and impressive. For families worried about sociology's typical return on investment, this program's track record suggests it's preparing graduates for outcomes well above what most sociology degrees deliver nationally.