2026 Best Value Sociology & Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Sociology & Anthropology](/majors/social-sciences/sociology-and-anthropology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 16 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for sociology & anthropology students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Sociology & Anthropology Schools in the Great Lakes Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the sociology & anthropology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Sociology & Anthropology Schools
Leading the list is Knox College, our #1 best value for sociology & anthropology in the Great Lakes Region. Knox College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Galesburg. In-state tuition and fees average $57,903. Sociology & Anthropology graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Sociology & Anthropology graduates of Knox College earn a median of $26,350 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Knox College admits about 71% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Lake Forest College earned it the #2 place for sociology & anthropology. Set in the suburb of Lake Forest, Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $56,402. Students borrow a median of $26,661 to complete the sociology & anthropology program here. Soon after graduation, sociology & anthropology degree recipients from Lake Forest College generally make around $41,168. That is a strong return on a $26,661 median debt. Lake Forest College admits about 57% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
