Despite a nationwide decrease in college students studying sociology, Concordia professors remain optimistic

MOORHEAD – Every year, fewer students are becoming sociology majors, and the course has even been removed from a variety of public colleges across the United States. According to the Minnesota Public Radio, St. Cloud State University is planning on cutting 42 majors in total, sociology being one of them. 

Leretta Smith, a professor of sociology field at North Dakota State University and Concordia College, attributes the decrease of sociology to the decrease of enrollment in higher education nationwide.  

“We have seen a reduction in students attending higher education across the nation” she said.  

To further the decline, a recent study conducted by the Federal Reserve titled “Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2023” revealed that 44% of college graduates with a major in the field of social/behavioral sciences regretted their decision. 

In another study conducted in 2022 by the employment site “ZipRecruiter,” 72% of the 1,500 people surveyed out of those who majored in Sociology admitted regret. 

Many involved in the field believe this is due to both political and societal reasons. This downturn raises questions not only about the major’s future but also about broader implications in understanding the world around us. 

The American Sociological Association suggests that “a major reason for the decline is the percent of respondents who had not found jobs that employed the concepts, theories, and methods that they had learned as undergraduates.” in reference to research they had done on the satisfaction levels of people who had studied sociology. 

Although there has been a decline in the major across the United States, professors like Smith believe sociology should stay at Concordia.  

“I am passionate about Sociology – it is a science that explains our world and the people in it.” Smith said. “Sociology is an important field.  It is a human science that truly helps us understand the intersection of the individual and broader society.  It does so by looking at the interaction between groups of people and the individual person, and vice-versa,” she said.  

Colleen M. Ray has also been teaching sociology at Concordia for many years and said she firmly believes in the importance of the subject. 

“It can help us understand how we shape so many of our perspectives and provides an incredibly valuable toolkit for so many different types of careers, especially for those that want to work with people,” Ray said. 

Ray said she has witnessed the benefits of sociology through her students and believes sociology is a vital major.  

“I’ve had the pleasure of watching students grow and expand their mindset as they learn to more critically and thoughtfully understand the world around them by thinking sociologically,” she said.