Best Criminology Programs in the West (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Criminology Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 13 Criminology programs in the West by median earnings of Criminology graduates four years after completing, highest first. Gonzaga University leads the list at $68,190, followed by University of Nevada-Reno at $66,273 and Pacific University at $64,029.
Across the listed schools, the median is $56,676, with a spread of $39,592 from $68,190 to $28,598. For 1 of the 13 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 7 public and 6 private nonprofit institutions. University of California-Irvine ranks 12th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and California State University-Fresno reports the lowest average net price at $7,000.
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt posts the highest admission rate, admitting 98% of applicants.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonzaga University · Spokane, WA | $68,190 | $35,119 | $20,833 | 81.7% |
| Gonzaga University reports $68,190 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, with 44 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 2 | University of Nevada-Reno · Reno, NV | $66,273 | $15,927 | $12,674 | 73.7% |
| University of Nevada-Reno ranks 2nd on this list and posts a median of $66,273 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Pacific University · Forest Grove, OR | $64,029 | $35,273 | $23,318 | 89.6% |
| A private nonprofit university in Forest Grove, Pacific University shows median federal debt of $23,223 across all of its borrowers who completed, alongside $64,029 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Regis University · Denver, CO | $63,255 | $18,397 | $13,713 | 86.5% |
| Regis University admits 86% of applicants and reports $63,255 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $57,935 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| With an admission rate of 29%, University of California-Irvine ranks 12th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports $57,935 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of Denver · Denver, CO | $57,858 | $36,131 | $20,097 | 77.8% |
| University of Denver posts median federal debt of $22,000 among Criminology completers who borrowed and median earnings of $57,858 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Northern Arizona University · Flagstaff, AZ | $56,676 | $14,158 | $9,709 | 89.6% |
| Northern Arizona University reports $56,676 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, with 245 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 8 | Eastern Washington University · Cheney, WA | $55,621 | $13,886 | $9,547 | 90.8% |
| Eastern Washington University ranks 8th on this list and shows an average net price of $13,886 alongside median earnings of $55,621 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA | $55,418 | $10,229 | $6,230 | 95.1% |
| California State University-San Marcos reports $55,418 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $6,230 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 10 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA | $55,174 | $13,171 | $8,483 | 98.2% |
| An admission rate of 98% coincides with median earnings of $55,174 for Criminology graduates of California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | California State University-Fresno · Fresno, CA | $48,647 | $7,000 | $5,105 | 95.3% |
| California State University-Fresno posts median federal debt of $9,908 among Criminology completers who borrowed and median earnings of $48,647 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | University of La Verne · La Verne, CA | $47,273 | $20,161 | $20,151 | 71.2% |
| University of La Verne ranks 12th on this list and reports $47,273 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, with 58 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 13 | Mount Saint Mary's University · Los Angeles, CA | $28,598 | $21,413 | $23,849 | 73.1% |
| Mount Saint Mary's University, a private nonprofit university in Los Angeles, reports median earnings of $28,598 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, with 12 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
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 West appear. The figures are medians for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 1 of the 13 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 range from $68,190 to $28,598 and the list median of $56,676 cover the 13 schools with a published figure. Gonzaga University leads University of Nevada-Reno by $1,917 at the top of the list.