Best Criminology Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
This page ranks 110 Criminology programs in the United States by the median earnings of Criminology graduates four years after completing. University of Miami leads the list with median earnings of $70,461 after completing.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $55,413, with a range from $70,461 to $28,212. For 8 of the 110 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 54 public and 56 private nonprofit schools. CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice reports the lowest average net price at $3,203.
University of California-Irvine ranks 12th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Miami · Coral Gables, FL | $70,461 | $37,244 | $15,978 | 18.9% |
| University of Miami ranks 1st on this list, reporting $70,461 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | University of St Thomas · Saint Paul, MN | $70,419 | $29,155 | $28,131 | 85.4% |
| Admitting 85% of applicants, University of St Thomas shows median federal debt of $26,848 among Criminology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | Saint Anselm College · Manchester, NH | $69,676 | $34,779 | $25,143 | 78.1% |
| Saint Anselm College, a private nonprofit university in Manchester, posts an average net price of $34,779 alongside median earnings of $69,676 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Gonzaga University · Spokane, WA | $68,190 | $35,119 | $20,833 | 81.7% |
| Gonzaga University ranks 4th on this list and sits at 896th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 5 | Assumption University · Worcester, MA | $67,883 | $29,498 | $19,885 | 83.0% |
| Assumption University reports $67,883 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $19,885 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 6 | Emmanuel College · Boston, MA | $67,814 | $26,706 | $20,399 | 75.7% |
| Emmanuel College shows median federal debt of $26,000 among Criminology completers who borrowed and an admission rate of 76%. | |||||
| 7 | University of Maryland-College Park · College Park, MD | $67,258 | $15,678 | $2,962 | 44.8% |
| University of Maryland-College Park reports $67,258 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 397 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 8 | Maryville University of Saint Louis · Saint Louis, MO | $66,612 | $22,066 | $16,528 | 95.1% |
| Maryville University of Saint Louis ranks 8th on this list, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $22,000 in federal loans. | |||||
| 9 | University of Nevada-Reno · Reno, NV | $66,273 | $15,927 | $12,674 | 73.7% |
| University of Nevada-Reno posts an average net price of $15,927 and median earnings of $66,273 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Le Moyne College · Syracuse, NY | $65,956 | $22,277 | $14,535 | 83.0% |
| Admitting 83% of applicants, Le Moyne College shows median federal debt of $27,000 among Criminology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 11 | Stonehill College · Easton, MA | $64,957 | $33,016 | $23,605 | 66.3% |
| Stonehill College reports $64,957 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 66%. | |||||
| 12 | Pacific University · Forest Grove, OR | $64,029 | $35,273 | $23,318 | 89.6% |
| Pacific University ranks 12th on this list, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $23,223 in federal loans. | |||||
| 13 | Valparaiso University · Valparaiso, IN | $63,772 | $18,578 | $11,043 | 89.4% |
| Valparaiso University reports $63,772 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $18,578. | |||||
| 14 | University of Delaware · Newark, DE | $63,553 | $17,799 | $10,901 | 70.6% |
| With an admission rate of 71%, University of Delaware ranks 242nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 15 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater · Whitewater, WI | $63,365 | $14,158 | $8,440 | 85.7% |
| University of Wisconsin-Whitewater posts median federal debt of $25,283 among Criminology completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $63,365 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Regis University · Denver, CO | $63,255 | $18,397 | $13,713 | 86.5% |
| A private nonprofit university in Denver, Regis University ranks 16th on this list and shows an average net price of $18,397. | |||||
| 17 | Central Connecticut State University · New Britain, CT | $61,950 | $16,857 | $13,589 | 73.3% |
| Central Connecticut State University reports $61,950 in median earnings for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 142 graduates. | |||||
| 18 | Lycoming College · Williamsport, PA | $61,144 | $19,140 | $12,151 | 74.1% |
| Lycoming College admits 74% of applicants and reports median federal debt of $27,000 among Criminology completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 19 | Niagara University · Niagara University, NY | $60,995 | $17,248 | $9,564 | 87.4% |
| Niagara University ranks 19th on this list, with median earnings of $60,995 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA | $60,947 | $22,531 | $15,316 | 83.6% |
| University of Iowa posts an average net price of $22,531 and ranks 184th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 21 | Hamline University · Saint Paul, MN | $60,757 | $20,744 | $15,371 | 87.6% |
| Hamline University reports median earnings of $60,757 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, and an admission rate of 88%. | |||||
| 22 | The University of Tampa · Tampa, FL | $60,742 | $36,211 | $30,011 | 40.3% |
| The University of Tampa shows median federal debt of $23,250 among Criminology completers who borrowed, alongside an average net price of $36,211. | |||||
| 23 | Hofstra University · Hempstead, NY | $60,697 | $34,176 | $28,219 | 68.1% |
| Hofstra University ranks 23rd on this list and reports median earnings of $60,697 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | St. John Fisher University · Rochester, NY | $60,481 | $28,945 | $16,054 | 66.4% |
| St. John Fisher University admits 66% of applicants and posts an average net price of $28,945. | |||||
| 25 | Mount St. Mary's University · Emmitsburg, MD | $60,428 | $22,655 | $11,603 | 73.8% |
| Mount St. Mary's University reports median earnings of $60,428 for its Criminology graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 40. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Criminology graduates four years after completing, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled after completing. For 8 of the 110 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 University of Miami and University of St Thomas is just $42.
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