Best Sociology Schools Near South Bend, IN (2026)

South Bend, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs, with tuition ranging from $35,056 to $48,449 per year for indexed programs. South Bend has a population of about 102,866. Median household income is $52,512 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metro area, the top-earning sociology-related role is Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $75,580 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Sociology Schools to South Bend

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer sociology programs near South Bend, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from South Bend 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 South Bend. 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

Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame, IN 2.2 miles from South Bend
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,354
Avg net price $25,292/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN 2.4 miles from South Bend
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $99,980
Avg net price $26,780/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 89

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Goshen College

Goshen, IN 24.1 miles from South Bend
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
65.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 84%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,943
Avg net price $14,493/yr
Tuition
In‑state$38,890
Out‑of‑state$38,890
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Valparaiso University

Valparaiso, IN 42.5 miles from South Bend
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,191
Avg net price $18,578/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Manchester University

North Manchester, IN 53.0 miles from South Bend
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,504
Avg net price $18,805/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Indiana University-Northwest

Gary, IN 55.8 miles from South Bend
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,361
Avg net price $5,130/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, IN 62.6 miles from South Bend
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
50.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 72%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,318
Avg net price $6,079/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,675
Out‑of‑state$16,094
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN 71.5 miles from South Bend
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
40.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 84%
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,872
Avg net price $13,171/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,532
Out‑of‑state$22,887
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Sociology Wages Near South Bend

South Bend is part of the South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI metro area (BLS area code 43780). 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 $75,580 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI $81,356
Social and Human Service Assistants $44,470 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI $47,869
Survey Researchers N/A IN statewide
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $50,470 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI $54,327
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $64,000 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI $68,891
Social Science Research Assistants $57,020 IN statewide $61,378
Social and Community Service Managers $74,380 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI $80,065

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.


South Bend at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 102,866 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $52,512 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 29.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other South Bend-Area Cities With Sociology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited sociology schools are near South Bend, IN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs near South Bend. The closest is Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, IN (2.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lake Michigan College (29.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying sociology roles near South Bend?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sociology-related roles near South Bend are: Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary ($75,580), Social and Community Service Managers ($74,380), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($64,000). 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 Mishawaka instead of South Bend?

Mishawaka, IN is 5.3 miles from South Bend 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 South Bend an affordable place to study sociology?

South Bend’s median household income of $52,512 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Bend 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 South Bend

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

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.