2027 Best Value Criminology Associate’s Degree Schools

[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for criminology students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Criminology Schools in the United States
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminology Schools
Leading the list is Paris Junior College, our #1 best value for criminology in the United States. Paris Junior College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Paris. Students from in state pay about $2,700 in tuition and fees, compared with $5,700 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $8,846 to complete the criminology program here. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Paris Junior College generally make around $38,811. Set against $8,846 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Central New Mexico Community College earned it the #2 place for criminology. Located in the city of Albuquerque, Central New Mexico Community College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,060, with out-of-state students paying around $8,684. Criminology graduates carry a median of $10,112 in student loans. Early-career criminology graduates make about $28,987. Set against $10,112 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Capital Community College earned it the #3 place for criminology. Set in the city of New Britain, Capital Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,338, compared with $15,596 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,059 to complete the criminology program here. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Capital Community College generally make around $43,086. Set against $12,059 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Westmoreland County Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminology, landing the #4 spot this year. Westmoreland County Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Youngwood. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,306, compared with $14,728 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminology graduates is $11,000. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $37,439. That is a strong return on a $11,000 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in criminology will find it at Utah State University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Logan, Utah State University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,560, compared with $24,993 for out-of-state students. Criminology graduates carry a median of $16,191 in student loans. Criminology graduates of Utah State University earn a median of $50,348 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,191 median debt. Utah State University admits about 92% of applicants.
Other Criminology Degree Levels
Explore the best-value criminology schools at other degree levels:
View All Criminology Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.