2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Criminology is the 79th most popular major in the country with 10,182 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,346 criminology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 994 criminology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 24 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the criminology program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Featured schools near , edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college 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. 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 in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminology in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - River Falls, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Stout is a public institution located in Menomonie, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Stout also made our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout is $15,839 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Criminology at University of Wisconsin - Stout
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminology degrees to 66 students in 2019-2020.
UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students.
Read full report on Criminology at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 75 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students list, SIUC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Michigan University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 111 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students list, Eastern Michigan has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students.
Read full report on Criminology at Eastern Michigan University
Wright State University - Lake Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Celina, Ohio, this small public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.
Wright State University - Lake Campus also made our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Lake Campus is $12,099 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students.
Full Wright State University - Lake Campus Criminology Report
National Louis University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminology degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students list, NLU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NLU is $14,957 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students.
Read full report on Criminology at National Louis University
Indiana State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana State is a fairly large school located in Terre Haute, Indiana that handed out 141 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students list, Indiana State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana State is $13,896 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students.
Cleveland State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
Cleveland State University also took the #16 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $17,278 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students.
Read full report on Criminology at Cleveland State University
Wright State University - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Dayton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminology degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wright State University - Main Campus, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,823 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.
Read full report on Criminology at Wright State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #11, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Akron, Ohio. It awarded 16 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Akron Main Campus, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,792 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students per year to attend University of Akron Main Campus.
Read more about Criminology at University of Akron Main Campus
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. 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.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $17,616 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminology 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%. 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 more about Criminology at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Lakeland University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Plymouth, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.
Lakeland did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students per year to attend Lakeland.
With a ranking of #14, Mount St. Joseph University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
Mount St. Joe also took the #14 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mount St. Joseph University is $21,913 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students.
Dominican University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Dominican U is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students list, Dominican U has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $19,268 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Ohio State University - Mansfield Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Ohio State University - Mansfield Campus is a small public school situated in Mansfield, Ohio. It awarded 2 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
Ohio State University - Mansfield Campus also took the #24 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,834 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students per year to attend Ohio State University - Mansfield Campus.
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%.
Full Ohio State University - Mansfield Campus Criminology Report
Rockford University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Rockford is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rockford, Illinois. It awarded 5 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
Rockford also took the #22 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $22,197 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students per year to attend Rockford University.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Ohio Dominican University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. ODU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 5 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.
ODU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,960 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students per year to attend ODU.
Capital University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminology degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students list, Capital has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $22,642 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students per year to attend Capital University.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
Concordia University, Chicago landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Chicago, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students.
Read more about Criminology at Concordia University, Chicago
Marquette University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminology degrees to 75 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students list, Marquette has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Marquette University is $29,756 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Wittenberg University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Wittenberg is located in Springfield, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wittenberg, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wittenberg is $22,886 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminology students.
With a ranking of #23, Valparaiso University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Valparaiso University is located in Valparaiso, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Valpo, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,852 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students per year to attend Valparaiso University.
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%.
DePaul University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $30,090 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students per year to attend DePaul University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Criminology Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Criminology students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology in the Great Lakes Region
Criminology students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Criminology Schools
Criminology students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Criminology students with family income less than $30k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
Criminology students with family income $48-$75k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Criminology students with family income exceeding $110k in the Great Lakes Region
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Criminology Graduates in the Great Lakes Region
Criminology students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology in the Great Lakes Region
Criminology students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Criminology students getting aid in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Criminology students with family income $30-$48k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Criminology students with family income $75-$110k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminology in the Great Lakes Region
Criminology students in the Great Lakes Region
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.
Featured Social Science Schools
Request Info |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |