Best Sociology Schools Near New Castle, PA (2026)

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

New Castle, Pennsylvania has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs. New Castle has a population of about 21,727. Median household income is $41,478 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 15.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Pittsburgh, PA metro area, the top-earning sociology-related role is Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $95,440 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Sociology Schools to New Castle

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

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

Sort:
#1

Westminster College

New Wilmington, PA 8.6 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,861
Avg net price $19,859/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Geneva College

Beaver Falls, PA 15.5 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,004
Avg net price $25,890/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Grove City College

Grove City, PA 17.7 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
91.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Thiel College

Greenville, PA 28.9 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
29.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,714
Avg net price $22,347/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Duquesne University

Pittsburgh, PA 42.9 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 79%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,742
Avg net price $37,730/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 108

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Pittsburgh, PA 43.3 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,125
Avg net price $30,434/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 239

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Washington & Jefferson College

Washington, PA 57.3 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
61.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,918
Avg net price $25,002/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus

Indiana, PA 67.3 miles from New Castle
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,019
Avg net price $16,804/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 109

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Sociology Wages Near New Castle

New Castle is part of the Pittsburgh, PA metro area (BLS area code 38300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Pennsylvania statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologists N/A PA statewide –
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary $95,440 Pittsburgh, PA $100,781
Social and Human Service Assistants $43,970 Pittsburgh, PA $46,431
Survey Researchers $63,310 PA statewide $66,853
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $49,800 Pittsburgh, PA $52,587
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $63,190 Pittsburgh, PA $66,727
Social Science Research Assistants $50,070 Pittsburgh, PA $52,872
Social and Community Service Managers $74,170 Pittsburgh, PA $78,321

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.

New Castle at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 21,727 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $41,478 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 15.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 94.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other New Castle-Area Cities With Sociology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited sociology schools are near New Castle, PA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs near New Castle. The closest is Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA (8.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Thiel College (28.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying sociology roles near New Castle?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sociology-related roles near New Castle are: Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary ($95,440), Social and Community Service Managers ($74,170), Survey Researchers ($63,310). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Pennsylvania statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Youngstown instead of New Castle?

Youngstown, OH is 17.2 miles from New Castle 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 New Castle an affordable place to study sociology?

New Castle’s median household income of $41,478 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in New Castle while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Pennsylvania 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 New Castle

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

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 Pennsylvania: Online Programs (2026)