How much debt do Georgia Southern University sociology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $26,500, which ranks 4th lowest of 12 sociology bachelor's programs in Georgia. That works out to about $281 a month over 10 years.

Is a sociology degree from Georgia Southern University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 77% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 72%. Compare the cost with other Georgia programs before deciding.

Georgia Southern University Sociology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Georgia Southern University sociology graduates stay in Georgia?

Most do. 84% (27 of 32) were working in Georgia one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Sociology
Public university
Statesboro, GA
About 29 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Georgia Southern University sociology graduates earn about what sociology graduates earn nationally, $34,627 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $26,500 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,000. It is one of the higher-paying sociology degrees in Georgia.

First-year earnings$34,62753rd percentile of 397 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$43,12925% more than year one

Median federal debt$26,5004th lowest of 12 Georgia programs

Debt-to-earnings77%Georgia median 94%, national 72%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Georgia and national columns are the medians across all sociology bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Georgia Southern University	Georgia	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$34,627	$30,984	$34,099
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$43,129	$43,748	$50,382
Median federal debt at graduation	$26,500	$28,875	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	77%	94%	72%
Programs compared		12	397

Five years out, Georgia Southern University graduates earn less than the national figure and about the same as the Georgia median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Georgia sociology program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Georgia medians.

Georgia Southern UniversityOther Georgia programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 25% between the first and fifth year.

Georgia Southern University grads, year 1$34,627

Georgia Southern University grads, year 5$43,129

All Georgia sociology grads, year 5$43,748

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $281 a month, or 9.7% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

84% of graduates (27 of 32) were working in Georgia one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of Georgia outside metro areas are about 13% below the national average, so a $34,627 salary here buys what about $39,808 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to sociology, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Social Science Research Assistants

$66,620

Median pay in Georgia. 1,840 people work in this job in Georgia. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,900 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $40,650Top 10%: $136,810

Sociologists

$106,030

Median pay nationwide. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 200 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.

About Georgia Southern University

In-state tuition and fees	$6,022 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$17,734 / year
Average net price after aid	$15,267 / year
Admission rate	88%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	55%
Undergraduate students	21,790

Sociology ranks 25th of 47 bachelor's programs at Georgia Southern University by first-year earnings. The top three are Manufacturing Engineering ($83,438), Electrical Engineering ($75,859), and Nursing ($72,741).

Other sociology bachelor's programs near Statesboro

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Georgia Southern UniversityStatesboro, GA · public		$34,627	$26,500
Savannah StateSavannah, GA · public	50 mi	$28,747	$29,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $34,627 one year after graduating and $43,129 five years after. The median across sociology bachelor's programs in Georgia is $30,984.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Georgia comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the sociology program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Sociology bachelor's programs in Georgia, ranked12 programs by pay and debt Sociology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked397 programs by pay and debt All Georgia Southern University programs, ranked47 programs by pay and debt