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Sociology: Columbia University in the City of New York vs University of California-Berkeley

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY
University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
In-State
2.6x
$276,180 tuition
11.6x
$59,400 tuition
Out-of-State
2.6x
$276,180 tuition
3.8x
$182,508 tuition
$731,283 10-yr earnings · Private nonprofit
$688,150 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

Columbia University in the City of New York University of California-Berkeley
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 2.6x 11.6x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 2.6x 3.8x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $276,180 $59,400
Year 1 Earnings $58,541 $40,774
10-Year Earnings $731K $688K
Median Debt $27,000 $13,000
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 5.5 months 3.8 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 42/100 48/100
Acceptance Rate 4.2% 11.7%

Both programs have high AI automation risk (42% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Sociology graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Sociology graduates.

Columbia University in the City of New York University of California-Berkeley
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $276,180 $59,400
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $276,180 $182,508
10-Year Projected Earnings $731K $688K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 2.6x 11.6x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 2.6x 3.8x
5-Year Salary Growth +59% +91%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Sociology (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

Columbia University in the City of New York University of California-Berkeley
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $755K $731K $649K $707K $688K $615K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 2.7x 2.6x 2.3x 11.9x 11.6x 10.4x
DegreeWorth Score 43 42 37 49 48 43

For the full AI analysis of Sociology career paths, see the Columbia University in the City of New York or University of California-Berkeley program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Sociology graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$216,780
University of California-Berkeley saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$17,767/yr
Columbia University in the City of New York grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
2.6x / 11.6x
Out-of-state: 2.6x / 3.8x

Career Paths

Sociology graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Managers, all other $136,550 106,700 +4.5% 47%
Sociologists $101,690 300 +3.6% 54%
Sociology teachers, postsecondary $82,540 1,100 +2.1% 43%
Social sciences teachers, postsecondary, all other $75,040 1,500 +1.7% 0%
Social science research assistants $58,040 5,200 +4.4% 67%
Want to compare different schools or majors? Try the freeform comparison tool →

Explore Each Program

Sociology at Columbia University in the City of New York → Sociology at University of California-Berkeley →

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Sociology Overview

View all schools offering Sociology →

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Sociology: Columbia University in the City of New York or University of California-Berkeley?
Columbia University in the City of New York scores 42/100 while University of California-Berkeley scores 48/100. University of California-Berkeley has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Sociology?
Columbia University in the City of New York has an in-state earnings multiple of 2.6x vs University of California-Berkeley's 11.6x. That means University of California-Berkeley grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition. The $216,780 tuition gap is the biggest driver of this difference.
How do Columbia University in the City of New York and University of California-Berkeley compare on Sociology earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $58,541 at Columbia University in the City of New York vs $40,774 at University of California-Berkeley. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $731,283 vs $688,150 — a difference of $43,133.
How much does Sociology cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $276,180 at Columbia University in the City of New York and $59,400 at University of California-Berkeley. Median debt at graduation is $27,000 vs $13,000. Both programs lead to the same Sociology career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.