2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 10,182 people earned their degree in criminology, making the major the 79th most popular in the United States.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,860 criminology graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 143 colleges that offered a degree in criminology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent criminology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the criminology program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminology (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Pennsylvania is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 13 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
UPenn also made our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $3,181 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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.
Read full report on Criminology at University of Pennsylvania
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 154 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
UF also made our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $1,994 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 230 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.
John Jay also took the #23 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $771 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Read full report on Criminology at John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Out of the 143 schools in the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maryland - College Park landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Maryland - College Park is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 353 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
UMCP also took the #2 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $8,054 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Maryland - College Park Criminology Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 425 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $3,950 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Criminology Report
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 429 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,558 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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.
California State University - Fresno landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 430 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Criminology at California State University - Fresno
North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k list, NC State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,285 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Carolina State University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 143 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $8,194 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 120 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.
UMN Twin Cities also took the #14 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,266 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
UMN Duluth also took the #15 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,443 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 - Duluth
SUNY Old Westbury ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Old Westbury, New York, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,772 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY Old Westbury.
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,868 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Whitewater.
Read full report on Criminology at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $8,366 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Criminology Report
Eastern Washington University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Cheney, Washington, this fairly large public school awarded 88 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend EWU is $8,473 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Criminology at Eastern Washington University
University of Wisconsin - Stout ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Stout did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stout is $10,695 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low 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%.
University of Northern Iowa landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNI, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,757 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
California State University - San Marcos landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school awarded 278 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $9,517 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSM.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Criminology at California State University - San Marcos
With a ranking of #19, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Odessa, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UT Permian Basin is $7,889 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Delaware landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Newark, Delaware, this large public school awarded 132 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UD has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,487 for Bachelor’s Degree 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Nevada - Reno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. University of Nevada - Reno is a public institution located in Reno, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 163 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UNR excels when it comes to criminology quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $11,587 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Nevada - Reno.
Read full report on Criminology at University of Nevada - Reno
University of Southern Maine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized school is located in Portland, Maine, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Maine is $8,753 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.
SUNY Cortland did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Cortland, New York, this medium-sized public school awarded 59 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.
SUNY Cortland also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,202 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY Cortland.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Houston - Clear Lake came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Houston - Clear Lake is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 46 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $4,517 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UH Clear Lake.
Wright State University - Lake Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Wright State University - Lake Campus is a small school located in Celina, Ohio that handed out 5 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Lake Campus is $9,099 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Wright State University - Lake Campus Criminology Report
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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