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2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

143 Ranked Colleges
8,860 Degrees Awarded
$12,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 143 colleges that offered a degree in criminology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great criminology programs and 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Getting Aid”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminology (With Aid)

#23 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminology degrees to 230 students in 2019-2020.

John Jay also made our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend John Jay is $2,532 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid.

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

#2

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#10 in overall quality

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 Getting Aid. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 154 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

UF also took the #10 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $6,302 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 more about Criminology at University of Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 430 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,464 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Fresno State Criminology Report

Top 25% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminology degrees to 425 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,355 for bachelor’s degree criminology students with aid per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.

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%.

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

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. UC Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 429 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. 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

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. 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.

It costs about $10,092 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Read more about Criminology at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin

#7

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school awarded 353 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.

UMCP also made our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $19,045 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Criminology Report

#8

SUNY Old Westbury

Old Westbury, New York

With a ranking of #8, SUNY Old Westbury did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Old Westbury, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminology degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Old Westbury is $10,557 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid.

Full SUNY Old Westbury Criminology Report

#9

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#12 in overall quality

North Carolina State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. North Carolina State University is a large public school situated in Raleigh, North Carolina. It awarded 46 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminology students with aid list, NC State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $16,458 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid.

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 full report on Criminology at NC State

With a ranking of #10, The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas at 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 The University of Texas at Dallas is $15,232 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Criminology at The University of Texas at Dallas

#11

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UMSL is $9,435 for bachelor’s degree criminology students with aid.

Read full report on Criminology at UMSL

#12

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. University of Wisconsin - 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.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid.

Read full report on Criminology at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#13

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. 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 $13,748 for bachelor’s degree criminology students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Criminology Report

#14

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Eastern Washington University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Cheney, Washington, and it awarded 88 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Washington University is $12,607 for bachelor’s degree criminology students with aid.

Full Eastern Washington University 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 Getting Aid ranking. UW - Stout is a medium-sized public school situated in Menomonie, Wisconsin. It awarded 20 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stout also took the #21 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,839 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at UW - Stout

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 278 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSM is $13,399 for bachelor’s degree criminology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at CSUSM

Wright State University - Lake Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wright State University - Lake Campus is a public institution located in Celina, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,099 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid per year to attend Wright State University - Lake Campus.

Read full report on Criminology at Wright State University - Lake Campus

#18

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

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. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $25,802 for bachelor’s degree criminology students with aid.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Full UPenn Criminology Report

Texas A&M University - San Antonio ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminology degrees to 123 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M San Antonio is $11,511 for bachelor’s degree criminology students with aid.

Full Texas A&M San Antonio Criminology Report

#20

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#22 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. University of Northern Iowa is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $15,620 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Criminology at University of Northern Iowa

#21

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #21, University of Utah did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Utah is $14,773 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Criminology at University of Utah

#22

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. WVU is located in Morgantown, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 138 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,983 for bachelor’s degree criminology students with aid per year to attend WVU.

Read full report on Criminology at West Virginia University

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Nevada - Reno landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Reno, Nevada, and it awarded 163 bachelors’s criminology 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. The estimated yearly cost for UNR is $15,081 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students with aid.

Read full report on Criminology at UNR

#24

University of Southern Maine

Portland, Maine

University of Southern Maine came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Southern Maine is a public institution located in Portland, Maine. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,339 for bachelor’s degree criminology students with aid per year to attend University of Southern Maine.

Full University of Southern Maine Criminology Report

#25

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, Indiana

With a ranking of #25, Indiana State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana State is a fairly large school located in Terre Haute, Indiana that handed out 141 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana State University is $13,896 for bachelor’s degree criminology students with aid.

Full Indiana State Criminology Report

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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