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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminology (Income $0-$30k)

143 Ranked Colleges
8,860 Degrees Awarded
$7,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Criminology is the 82nd most popular major in the country with 10,182 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, criminology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,583 and had an average of $24,397 in loans still to pay off.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 143 colleges that offer a degree in criminology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality criminology programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Criminology Schools

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 a Bachelor’s 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. 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 $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminology (Income $0-$30k)

#1

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 13 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UPenn has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $3,181 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a 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 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

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminology degrees to 154 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UF has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UF is $1,994 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 97%.

Read full report on Criminology at University of Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. John Jay is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 230 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at John Jay, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for John Jay is $771 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full John Jay Criminology Report

#4

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Maryland - College Park. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMCP is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 353 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMCP has also earned the #2 rank 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Criminology Report

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 South Florida - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 425 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,950 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.

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 low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 USF Tampa Criminology Report

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 $0-$30k list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 429 bachelors’s criminology 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 $9,558 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at University of California - Irvine

California State University - Fresno came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 430 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,264 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#8

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

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. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NC State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $7,285 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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.

Full NC State Criminology Report

With a ranking of #9, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 143 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,194 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Criminology Report

#10

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

With a ranking of #10, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 120 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Criminology at UMN Twin Cities

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Duluth, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminology degrees to 62 students in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also made our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $7,443 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at University of Minnesota - Duluth

#12

SUNY Old Westbury

Old Westbury, New York

SUNY Old Westbury ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. SUNY Old Westbury is a medium-sized school located in Old Westbury, New York that handed out 70 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Old Westbury is $6,772 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminology at SUNY Old Westbury

#13

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 66 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $11,868 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminology at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#14

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full UW - River Falls Criminology Report

#15

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

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 handed out 88 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for EWU is $8,473 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminology at EWU

#16

University of Wisconsin - Stout

Menomonie, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - Stout did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 20 bachelors’s criminology degrees 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. It costs about $10,695 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stout.

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%.

Full UW - Stout Criminology Report

#17

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

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. University of Northern Iowa is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNI has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $10,757 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Criminology at University of Northern Iowa

With a ranking of #18, California State University - San Marcos did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. 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.

It costs about $9,517 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSM.

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%.

Full CSUSM Criminology Report

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. 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 $7,889 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Read more about Criminology at UT Permian Basin

#20

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Newark, Delaware is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminology degrees to 132 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UD, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UD is $11,487 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Criminology at University of Delaware

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. This large school is located in Reno, Nevada, and it awarded 163 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UNR also did well on our “Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Reno is $11,587 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminology at University of Nevada - Reno

#22

University of Southern Maine

Portland, Maine

With a ranking of #22, University of Southern Maine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Southern Maine is a medium-sized public school situated in Portland, Maine. 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.

Read more about Criminology at University of Southern Maine

#23

SUNY Cortland

Cortland, New York

SUNY Cortland landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SUNY Cortland is located in Cortland, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 59 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, SUNY Cortland 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 $12,202 for bachelor’s degree criminology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SUNY Cortland.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 SUNY Cortland

With a ranking of #24, University of Houston - Clear Lake did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UH Clear Lake is $4,517 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminology at UH Clear Lake

Wright State University - Lake Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. 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 yearly cost to attend 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

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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