Sociology at University of North Carolina Asheville
NC · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 45.11
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Sociology degree from University of North Carolina Asheville earn a median salary of $42,709 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in NC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $43,670. The degree typically pays for itself in 17.4 years.
Quick Insights
How this degree looks at a glance
A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.
Salary Ranges
Starting Range
$31,217
Typical Career
$42,709
Top Performers
$54,341
Estimated break-even: 17.4 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$285
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,559. Most students can comfortably afford about a $285 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in North Carolina buys what costs $0.98 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.
Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work
Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.
5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent
$43,670
Nominal: $42,709 in North Carolina (COL 97.8% of national avg) · 2.2% higher purchasing power
10-Year Earnings Curve
Break-Even Timeline
How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).
Total Investment
$155,168
4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost
HS Graduate Baseline
$38,792/yr
BLS 2023 median, HS diploma
View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
| Timeframe | 25th Pct. | Median (50th) | 75th Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Year After Graduation | $23,012 | $29,493 | $38,835 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $31,217 | $42,709 | $54,341 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $41,444 | $54,286 | $68,957 |
Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).
How We Calculate Purchasing Power
The median salary of $42,709 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in NC, which has a cost-of-living index of 97.8% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $42,709 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9780)
= $43,670 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The primary industries that Sociology graduates enter include Educational Services (17.5%), Health Care & Social Assistance (16.2%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (12.0%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 17.4 years, which suggests that while the return on investment may take time to materialize, the degree opens pathways to sectors that are essential and often stable. Overall, pursuing a Sociology degree can lead to meaningful employment opportunities, albeit with a longer timeline for financial payoff.
AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.
Compare with Another School
See how the Sociology degree at University of North Carolina Asheville stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.
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