Best Sociology Schools Near Gainesville, GA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Gainesville, Georgia has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs. Gainesville has a population of about 44,051. Median household income is $64,636 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Georgia, the top-earning sociology-related role is Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $84,330 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Sociology Schools to Gainesville

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer sociology programs near Gainesville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Gainesville city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Gainesville. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, GA 18.8 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,135
Avg net price $9,823/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Piedmont University

Demorest, GA 25.1 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,130
Avg net price $20,599/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Georgia

Athens, GA 34.8 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
88.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,726
Avg net price $13,936/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 241

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Oglethorpe University

Atlanta, GA 40.7 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
42.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,232
Avg net price $19,509/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Reinhardt University

Waleska, GA 41.4 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
30.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,541
Avg net price $24,425/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Emory University

Atlanta, GA 44.7 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,137
Avg net price $22,585/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 112

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Kennesaw State University

Kennesaw, GA 46.4 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,552
Avg net price $15,048/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 116

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA 49.0 miles from Gainesville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,384
Avg net price $15,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Georgia schools on the Georgia sociology page.

Sociology Wages Near Gainesville

Gainesville is part of the Gainesville, GA metro area (BLS area code 23580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologists N/A GA statewide –
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary $84,330 GA statewide $87,118
Social and Human Service Assistants $38,910 Gainesville, GA $40,196
Survey Researchers $51,590 GA statewide $53,295
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $47,080 Gainesville, GA $48,636
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $64,570 Gainesville, GA $66,705
Social Science Research Assistants $66,620 GA statewide $68,822
Social and Community Service Managers $70,830 Gainesville, GA $73,171

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Gainesville at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 44,051 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,636 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 26.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Gainesville-Area Cities With Sociology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited sociology schools are near Gainesville, GA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs near Gainesville. The closest is University of North Georgia in Dahlonega, GA (18.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Reinhardt University (41.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying sociology roles near Gainesville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sociology-related roles near Gainesville are: Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary ($84,330), Social and Community Service Managers ($70,830), Social Science Research Assistants ($66,620). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Georgia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Sugar Hill instead of Gainesville?

Sugar Hill, GA is 18.0 miles from Gainesville and has its own set of local sociology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Gainesville an affordable place to study sociology?

Gainesville’s median household income of $64,636 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gainesville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Georgia public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Sociology Programs

Other Programs Available in Gainesville

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Gainesville:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Sociology Schools in Georgia: Online Programs (2026)