Best Sociology Schools Near Amherst, MA (2026)

Amherst, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs. Amherst has a population of about 40,989. In Massachusetts, the top-earning sociology-related role is Sociologists at a median $106,530 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Sociology Schools to Amherst

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer sociology programs near Amherst, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Amherst 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 Amherst. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

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#1

Amherst College

Amherst, MA 0.8 miles from Amherst
  • 4 year
73.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $77,644
Avg net price $23,367/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Amherst, MA 1.8 miles from Amherst
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,631
Avg net price $22,383/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 166

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Hampshire College

Amherst, MA 3.0 miles from Amherst
  • 4 year
40.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,938
Avg net price $24,034/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Sociology Wages Near Amherst

Amherst is part of the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area (BLS area code 11200). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologists $106,530 MA statewide $106,317
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary $103,110 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $102,904
Social and Human Service Assistants $44,900 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $44,810
Survey Researchers $74,890 MA statewide $74,741
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $56,660 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $56,547
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $72,550 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $72,405
Social Science Research Assistants $63,480 MA statewide $63,353
Social and Community Service Managers $81,650 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA $81,487

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.


Amherst at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.2 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Amherst-Area Cities With Sociology Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited sociology schools are near Amherst, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs near Amherst. The closest is Amherst College in Amherst, MA (0.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Mount Holyoke College (8.3 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying sociology roles near Amherst?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sociology-related roles near Amherst are: Sociologists ($106,530), Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary ($103,110), Social and Community Service Managers ($81,650). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Northampton instead of Amherst?

Northampton, MA is 9.0 miles from Amherst 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.

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 Amherst

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.