Sociology at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

A sociology degree from UW-Oshkosh sits right at Wisconsin's median for the field, with similar programs across the state suggesting first-year earnings around $36,000 against roughly $26,000 in debt. That 0.72 debt-to-earnings ratio falls within workable territory—you're looking at debt equal to about nine months of gross income, which is manageable if your child secures steady employment after graduation.

The challenge here is less about the numbers than the nature of sociology as a degree. Comparable programs in Wisconsin cluster tightly between $36,000 and $38,000 in first-year earnings, meaning there's little financial advantage to choosing one state school over another. What matters more is what your child does with the degree: securing internships, building research skills, or planning for graduate school can differentiate outcomes significantly. Sociology itself rarely leads to a defined career path the way nursing or accounting does, so employment outcomes depend heavily on how students translate the degree into marketable skills.

The practical takeaway: if your child is genuinely interested in sociology and has a plan for applying it—whether that's nonprofit work, human resources, market research, or graduate study—the estimated debt load from UW-Oshkosh won't create undue hardship. But this isn't a degree that typically generates strong early earnings on its own, so having that post-graduation direction matters more than which Wisconsin campus they attend.