Gary, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs, with tuition ranging from $8,675 to $16,094 per year for indexed programs. Gary has a population of about 68,604. Median household income is $37,380 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 14.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning sociology-related role is Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $86,040 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Sociology Schools to Gary
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer sociology programs near Gary, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Gary 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Gary.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,361
Avg net price
$5,130/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 47
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Indiana schools on the Indiana sociology page.
Sociology Wages Near Gary
Gary is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Sociologists |
N/A |
IN statewide |
– |
| Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary |
$86,040 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$83,050 |
| Social and Human Service Assistants |
$47,180 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$45,541 |
| Survey Researchers |
$54,080 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$52,201 |
| Child, Family, and School Social Workers |
$64,790 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$62,539 |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists |
$80,400 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$77,606 |
| Social Science Research Assistants |
$64,890 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$62,635 |
| Social and Community Service Managers |
$79,150 |
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$76,400 |
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.
Gary at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
68,604 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$37,380 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
14.3% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
103.6 (above U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Gary-Area Cities With Sociology Programs
- Highland, IN – 6.5 mi away (22,737 pop)
- Hobart, IN – 6.5 mi away (28,248 pop)
- East Chicago, IN – 6.8 mi away (28,418 pop)
- Hammond, IN – 7.6 mi away (77,134 pop)
- Merrillville, IN – 8.3 mi away (34,994 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited sociology schools are near Gary, IN?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs near Gary. The closest is Indiana University-Northwest in Gary, IN (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Chicago (18.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying sociology roles near Gary?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sociology-related roles near Gary are: Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary ($86,040), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($80,400), Social and Community Service Managers ($79,150). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Highland instead of Gary?
Highland, IN is 6.5 miles from Gary 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 Gary an affordable place to study sociology?
Gary’s median household income of $37,380 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Gary while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Indiana 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 Gary
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Gary:
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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.
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