Best Sociology Schools Near Charleston, WV (2026)

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

Charleston, West Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs. Charleston has a population of about 47,918. Median household income is $64,512 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In West Virginia, the top-earning sociology-related role is Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $77,380 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Sociology Schools to Charleston

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

West Virginia State University

Institute, WV 7.5 miles from Charleston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,492
Avg net price $11,139/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Marshall University

Huntington, WV 43.4 miles from Charleston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,354
Avg net price $7,502/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 100

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Concord University

Athens, WV 72.4 miles from Charleston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
41.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,703
Avg net price $9,966/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

West Virginia Wesleyan College

Buckhannon, WV 88.2 miles from Charleston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,593
Avg net price $18,083/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Fairmont State University

Fairmont, WV 111.3 miles from Charleston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,857
Avg net price $9,032/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV 126.5 miles from Charleston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,939
Avg net price $15,634/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

American Public University System

Charles Town, WV 213.2 miles from Charleston
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
50.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,409
Avg net price $9,597/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 98

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, WV 219.1 miles from Charleston
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,358
Avg net price $11,363/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Sociology Wages Near Charleston

Charleston is part of the Charleston, WV metro area (BLS area code 16620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to West Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Sociologists N/A WV statewide –
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary $77,380 WV statewide $87,238
Social and Human Service Assistants $41,260 Charleston, WV $46,516
Survey Researchers N/A WV statewide –
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $53,070 Charleston, WV $59,831
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $50,490 Charleston, WV $56,922
Social Science Research Assistants $51,140 WV statewide $57,655
Social and Community Service Managers $70,930 Charleston, WV $79,966

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.

Charleston at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 47,918 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,512 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 44.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Charleston-Area Cities With Sociology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited sociology schools are near Charleston, WV?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs near Charleston. The closest is West Virginia State University in Institute, WV (7.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Pikeville (77.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying sociology roles near Charleston?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sociology-related roles near Charleston are: Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary ($77,380), Social and Community Service Managers ($70,930), Child, Family, and School Social Workers ($53,070). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with West Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Huntington instead of Charleston?

Huntington, WV is 43.7 miles from Charleston 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 Charleston an affordable place to study sociology?

Charleston’s median household income of $64,512 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Charleston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and West Virginia 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 Charleston

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

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 West Virginia (2026)