Best Criminology Programs in the Midwest (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Social Sciences Colleges in the Midwest
Regional list from Best Criminology Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 29 Criminology programs in the Midwest by the median earnings of Criminology graduates four years after completing. University of St Thomas leads the list at $70,419, and the median across the listed schools is $55,265. Earnings range from $70,419 down to $28,212, a spread of $42,207.
The list is nearly evenly split between 15 public and 14 private nonprofit institutions. Ohio State University-Main Campus ranks 90th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on the page. Indiana State University posts the lowest average net price, at $10,873.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of St Thomas · Saint Paul, MN | $70,419 | $29,155 | $28,131 | 85.4% |
| University of St Thomas ranks 1st on this list, reporting $70,419 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | Maryville University of Saint Louis · Saint Louis, MO | $66,612 | $22,066 | $16,528 | 95.1% |
| A private nonprofit university in Saint Louis, Maryville University of Saint Louis posts an average net price of $22,066 and median earnings of $66,612 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Valparaiso University · Valparaiso, IN | $63,772 | $18,578 | $11,043 | 89.4% |
| Valparaiso University admits 89% of applicants and its Criminology graduates four years after completing earn a median of $63,772. | |||||
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater · Whitewater, WI | $63,365 | $14,158 | $8,440 | 85.7% |
| With 58 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater reports median earnings of $63,365 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $14,158. | |||||
| 5 | University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA | $60,947 | $22,531 | $15,316 | 83.6% |
| University of Iowa's Criminology completers who borrowed had a median federal debt of $21,500, and the program reports median earnings of $60,947 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Hamline University · Saint Paul, MN | $60,757 | $20,744 | $15,371 | 87.6% |
| Hamline University reports $60,757 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $20,744. | |||||
| 7 | University of Minnesota-Duluth · Duluth, MN | $59,754 | $18,743 | $7,256 | 88.8% |
| A public university in Duluth, University of Minnesota-Duluth posts an average net price of $7,256 for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $59,754 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Marquette University · Milwaukee, WI | $59,083 | $31,487 | $22,269 | 81.3% |
| Marquette University ranks 8th on this list, with median earnings of $59,083 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $31,487. | |||||
| 9 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $59,022 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities reports 129 graduates in the earnings cohort and median earnings of $59,022 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $58,865 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus ranks 90th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and its Criminology graduates four years after completing earn a median of $58,865. | |||||
| 11 | Mount St. Joseph University · Cincinnati, OH | $58,825 | $16,530 | $11,689 | 59.1% |
| Mount St. Joseph University admits 59% of applicants and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $26,827 in federal loans. | |||||
| 12 | University of Wisconsin-Stout · Menomonie, WI | $57,529 | $17,490 | $10,966 | 87.7% |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout reports median earnings of $57,529 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $10,966 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 13 | National Louis University · Chicago, IL | $56,989 | $12,641 | $12,462 | 95.1% |
| National Louis University reports median earnings of $56,989 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, with 63 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 14 | Upper Iowa University · Fayette, IA | $56,767 | $20,942 | $17,715 | 96.5% |
| Upper Iowa University admits 96% of applicants and carries a median federal debt of $30,701 among Criminology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 15 | Lakeland University · Plymouth, WI | $55,265 | $24,212 | $22,453 | 86.3% |
| Lakeland University has an average net price of $24,212 and ranks 1056th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 16 | University of Northern Iowa · Cedar Falls, IA | $54,993 | $15,901 | $10,863 | 92.7% |
| University of Northern Iowa ranks 16th on this list, with median earnings of $54,993 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $52,916 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale shows an average net price of $9,415 for families earning under $30,000 and a median federal debt of $20,500 among Criminology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 18 | Dominican University · River Forest, IL | $52,775 | $11,745 | $9,759 | 90.3% |
| Dominican University reports 23 graduates in the earnings cohort and median earnings of $52,775 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | Cleveland State University · Cleveland, OH | $52,713 | $14,764 | $11,958 | 91.3% |
| Cleveland State University admits 91% of applicants and ranks 211th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 20 | Eastern Michigan University · Ypsilanti, MI | $52,535 | $15,407 | $13,250 | 79.6% |
| Eastern Michigan University has an average net price of $15,407 and a median federal debt of $27,000 among Criminology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 21 | University of Missouri-St Louis · Saint Louis, MO | $52,331 | $15,071 | $13,031 | 62.7% |
| University of Missouri-St Louis reports median earnings of $52,331 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, with 85 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 22 | Indiana State University · Terre Haute, IN | $51,991 | $10,873 | $6,455 | 80.8% |
| Indiana State University admits 81% of applicants and shows an average net price of $6,455 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 23 | University of Wisconsin-River Falls · River Falls, WI | $51,586 | $14,054 | $8,472 | 81.7% |
| University of Wisconsin-River Falls ranks 23rd on this list, with a median federal debt of $20,625 among Criminology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 24 | Concordia University-Chicago · River Forest, IL | $50,897 | $18,436 | $16,795 | 92.8% |
| Concordia University-Chicago reports median earnings of $50,897 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, alongside a school-wide median federal debt of $23,000 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 25 | Missouri State University-Springfield · Springfield, MO | $49,053 | $17,613 | $13,718 | 90.5% |
| Missouri State University-Springfield reports median earnings of $49,053 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 116 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 26 | Capital University · Columbus, OH | $49,041 | $22,576 | $19,062 | 70.2% |
| A private nonprofit university in Columbus, Capital University admits 70% of applicants and carries an average net price of $22,576. | |||||
| 27 | Wright State University-Main Campus · Dayton, OH | $46,939 | $15,415 | $11,952 | 96.3% |
| Wright State University-Main Campus ranks 27th on this list and shows an average net price of $11,952 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 28 | University of Saint Mary · Leavenworth, KS | $40,281 | $22,519 | $21,899 | 86.6% |
| University of Saint Mary reports median earnings of $40,281 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, and the school ranks 547th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 29 | Benedictine College · Atchison, KS | $28,212 | $27,891 | $22,032 | 98.1% |
| Benedictine College reports median earnings of $28,212 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 98%. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Criminology graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 2 of the 29 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first-ranked University of St Thomas and second-ranked Maryville University of Saint Louis is $3,807, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $42,207.