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2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

143 Ranked Colleges
8,860 Degrees Awarded
$9,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Criminology is the 79th most popular major in the country with 10,182 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 143 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Criminology Schools

The criminology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminology (Income $30-$48k)

#1

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

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 $30-$48k list. University of Pennsylvania is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,833 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Pennsylvania.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Read more about Criminology at UPenn

#2

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 143 schools in the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #2 spot on the list. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 154 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UF has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UF is $4,069 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at UF

#23 in overall quality

Out of the 143 schools in the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 230 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

John Jay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $3,108 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend John Jay.

Read full report on Criminology at John Jay

Top 25% in overall quality

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. University of South Florida - Main Campus is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 425 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $5,616 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Criminology at USF Tampa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminology degrees to 430 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,731 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at California State University - Fresno

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 429 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,373 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Irvine.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Criminology at University of California - Irvine

#7

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#2 in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 353 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,128 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMCP.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UMCP Criminology Report

#13 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 143 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ohio State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,037 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Ohio State University - Main Campus

#9

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#14 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 120 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $8,418 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#10

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#12 in overall quality

North Carolina State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. North Carolina State University is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 46 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

NC State also made our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $9,887 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 94%.

Read more about Criminology at NC State

#15 in overall quality

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 $30-$48k ranking. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also took the #15 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,992 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMN Duluth.

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 more about Criminology at UMN Duluth

#12

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 24 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,124 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - River Falls.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#13

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Eastern Washington University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Eastern Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Cheney, Washington. It awarded 88 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for EWU is $8,821 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Eastern Washington University Criminology Report

#14

SUNY Old Westbury

Old Westbury, New York

With a ranking of #14, SUNY Old Westbury did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. SUNY Old Westbury is a public institution located in Old Westbury, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SUNY Old Westbury is $9,754 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SUNY Old Westbury Criminology Report

#15

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stout landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Menomonie, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stout, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $10,778 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Criminology at UW - Stout

#16

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #16, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Missouri - St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 86 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UMSL is $6,838 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminology at UMSL

#17

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 66 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,156 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Whitewater.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Criminology Report

With a ranking of #18, 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 $30-$48k list. Odessa, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminology degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is $10,221 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UT Permian Basin Criminology Report

With a ranking of #19, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 278 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,347 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

The low 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 more about Criminology at CSUSM

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Nevada - Reno landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UNR is located in Reno, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 163 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, UNR is in the top on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $12,716 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNR.

Read full report on Criminology at University of Nevada - Reno

#21

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware
#7 in overall quality

University of Delaware ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Delaware is a public institution located in Newark, Delaware. The school has a large population, and it awarded 132 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UD also took the #7 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,236 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UD.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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%.

Read more about Criminology at UD

#22

University of Southern Maine

Portland, Maine

University of Southern Maine landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 $9,295 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminology at University of Southern Maine

#23

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

With a ranking of #23, West Virginia University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, this large public school awarded 138 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,486 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend West Virginia University.

Read full report on Criminology at West Virginia University

#24

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#22 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNI has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNI is $12,495 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 UNI Criminology Report

The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UT Dallas is a public institution located in Richardson, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UT Dallas is $11,745 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Criminology at UT Dallas

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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