Best Sociology Schools Near Derby, KS (2026)

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

Derby, Kansas has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs. Derby has a population of about 25,801. Median household income is $82,089 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Kansas, the top-earning sociology-related role is Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $78,630 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Sociology Schools to Derby

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

Friends University

Wichita, KS 10.4 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,113
Avg net price $27,715/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Wichita State University

Wichita, KS 11.4 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,532
Avg net price $13,194/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 149

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

McPherson College

McPherson, KS 60.1 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
30.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,084
Avg net price $26,441/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Emporia State University

Emporia, KS 83.4 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,601
Avg net price $16,261/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Kansas Wesleyan University

Salina, KS 88.9 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,152
Avg net price $22,671/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS 118.5 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,262
Avg net price $19,406/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 163

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Ottawa University-Ottawa

Ottawa, KS 130.2 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
33.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,552
Avg net price $27,963/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 29

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Washburn University

Topeka, KS 132.3 miles from Derby
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,774
Avg net price $15,280/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 83

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Sociology Wages Near Derby

Derby is part of the Wichita, KS metro area (BLS area code 48620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kansas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologists N/A KS statewide –
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary $78,630 KS statewide $88,448
Social and Human Service Assistants $39,850 Wichita, KS $44,826
Survey Researchers $57,700 KS statewide $64,904
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $54,310 Wichita, KS $61,091
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $63,890 Wichita, KS $71,867
Social Science Research Assistants $67,740 KS statewide $76,198
Social and Community Service Managers $76,200 Wichita, KS $85,714

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.

Derby at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 25,801 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $82,089 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 36.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Derby-Area Cities With Sociology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited sociology schools are near Derby, KS?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs near Derby. The closest is Friends University in Wichita, KS (10.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Kansas Wesleyan University (88.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying sociology roles near Derby?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sociology-related roles near Derby are: Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary ($78,630), Social and Community Service Managers ($76,200), Social Science Research Assistants ($67,740). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Wichita instead of Derby?

Wichita, KS is 10.4 miles from Derby 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 Derby an affordable place to study sociology?

Derby’s median household income of $82,089 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Derby while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kansas 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 Derby

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

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 Kansas: Online Programs (2026)