Using newly available data from the Department of Education, the Washington Monthly has compiled a list of the schools where majors popular with Black students pay best for recent college graduates. Institutions are ordered by first-year median income. Asterisks indicate public colleges.
Here’s more information about these lists, and here’s the rest of our rankings.
Social Work Programs
| Name | % Black | Median earnings out of college |
|---|---|---|
| University of Alabama (AL)* | 35.4% | $33,900 |
| Georgia State University (GA)* | 61.9% | $32,700 |
| University of MD–Baltimore County (MD)* | 25.5% | $32,700 |
| West Chester University (PA)* | 23.3% | $32,000 |
| Temple University (PA)* | 35.4% | $31,900 |
| Univ. of North Carolina–Charlotte (NC)* | 32.1% | $31,900 |
| Rutgers University–Newark (NJ)* | 48.6% | $31,700 |
| East Carolina University (NC)* | 32.2% | $31,400 |
22% of social work graduates nationwide are Black. For social work programs with over 50 graduates in the last two years, the median first-year earnings are $31,081.
Criminal Justice Programs
| Name | % Black | Median earnings out of college |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Christian University (TX) | 22.8% | $40,000 |
| Lynn University (FL) | 23.4% | $38,900 |
| La Salle University (PA) | 24.2% | $34,600 |
| University of Louisville (KY)* | 22.1% | $34,600 |
20% of criminal justice graduates nationwide are Black. For criminal justice programs with over 50 graduates in the last two years, the median first-year earnings are $33,958.
Sociology Programs
| Name | % Black | Median earnings out of college |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Univ. in the City of NY (NY) | 20.0% | $43,800 |
| Dartmouth College (NH) | 26.6% | $41,800 |
| Cornell University (NY) | 19.5% | $38,100 |
| Duke University (NC) | 26.3% | $37,300 |
| Georgetown University (DC) | 29.1% | $37,100 |
| Michigan State University (MI)* | 19.6% | $37,100 |
| University of Houston (TX)* | 31.2% | $37,100 |
| Wake Forest University (NC) | 28.8% | $36,700 |
| University of Notre Dame (IN) | 22.4% | $36,500 |
| Emory University (GA) | 21.2% | $35,600 |
18.6% of sociology graduates nationwide are Black. For sociology programs with over 50 graduates in the last two years, the median first-year earnings are $30,186.
NOTE: To make this list, each individual school’s program had to meet the following criteria:
1. It must have graduated at least 50 students over the last two years.
2. It must have a median first-year income that exceeds the median first-year income among its peers (other schools with the same program where the program also graduated at least 50 students over the last two years).
3. The percentage of Black graduates must exceed the nationwide average for the major.
4. The program’s school’s first-time, full-time undergraduate Black graduation rate needed to equal or exceed 50 percent.
5. The program’s school needed to graduate 25 or more first-time, full-time Black students.
For more information on the methodology, please see the list’s introduction.