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2023 Best Value Colleges for Criminology (Income $0-$30k)

133 Ranked Colleges
11,039 Degrees Awarded
$7,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Criminology is the 76th most popular major in the country with 11,039 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 133 colleges that offered a degree in criminology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality criminology programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the criminology program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Criminology (Income $0-$30k)

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Criminology Schools” list. It costs about $580 for Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Pennsylvania Criminology Report

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 179 degrees to qualified ’s criminology students in 2020-2021.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Criminology Schools” list. It costs about $65 for criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Florida.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Florida Criminology Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Maryland - College Park. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminology degrees to 346 students in 2020-2021.

UMCP also made our “Best Criminology Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $6,067 for Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at University of Maryland - College Park

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 442 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our criminology students whose families make $0-$30k list, USF Tampa has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Criminology Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $4,176 for Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at University of South Florida - Main Campus

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a fairly large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 219 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend John Jay is $788 for Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

6

California State University - Fresno landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 404 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

Fresno State also took the #21 spot in our “Best Criminology Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,859 for criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at California State University - Fresno

7

University of California - Irvine ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 498 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Criminology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $6,540 for Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Criminology at University of California - Irvine

8

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminology degrees to 151 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Criminology Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,698 for criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

9

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 147 ’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Criminology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $7,068 for Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Criminology at Ohio State

10
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Newark, Delaware is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminology degrees to 138 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our criminology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UD has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Criminology Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,726 for Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Delaware.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at UD

11

With a ranking of #11, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMN Duluth is a medium-sized public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 46 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Criminology Schools” list. It costs about $7,843 for criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at University of Minnesota - Duluth

12
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northern Arizona University is a large public school situated in Flagstaff, Arizona. It awarded 284 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

NAU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Criminology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend NAU is $10,520 for criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full NAU Criminology Report

13
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 187 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

Wazzu also made our “Best Criminology Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $7,689 for Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wazzu.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Wazzu Criminology Report

14

University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Missouri - St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 107 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $9,991 for criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Missouri - St Louis Criminology Report

15

University of Houston - Clear Lake landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Houston - Clear Lake is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 47 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Houston - Clear Lake is $9,532 for criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at University of Houston - Clear Lake

16
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminology degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,283 for Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Carolina State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Criminology at NC State

17

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 41 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $8,438 for criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Criminology Report

18

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school handed out 11 degrees to qualified ’s criminology students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $8,969 for Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Criminology Report

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Nevada - Reno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNR is located in Reno, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 177 ’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNR, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Criminology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNR is $11,795 for Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at UNR

20

California State University - San Marcos ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUSM is located in San Marcos, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 266 ’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,397 for criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSM.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at CSUSM

21

With a ranking of #21, Central New Mexico Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Central New Mexico Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It awarded 81 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CNM is $1,994 for criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminology at Central New Mexico Community College

22

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Richardson, Texas, this large public school awarded 74 diplomas to qualified ’s criminology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UT Dallas is in the top on our “Best Criminology Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Dallas is $11,070 for Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at The University of Texas at Dallas

23
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 97 ’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Criminology Schools” list. It costs about $13,554 for Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Iowa.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Criminology at University of Iowa

24
SUNY Old Westbury crest
SUNY Old Westbury
Old Westbury, New York

With a ranking of #24, SUNY Old Westbury did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Old Westbury, New York, and it awarded 54 ’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Old Westbury is $6,839 for criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at SUNY Old Westbury

25
Indiana State crest
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

Indiana State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Indiana State University is located in Terre Haute, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 136 ’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana State University is $10,104 for criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminology at Indiana State University

Notes and References

References

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