2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Washington
[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminology education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for criminology students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Washington
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminology Schools
Leading the list is Eastern Washington University, our #1 best value for criminology in Washington. Set in the town of Cheney, Eastern Washington University is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,586, while out-of-state students pay about $26,583. Students borrow a median of $19,295 to complete the criminology program here. Criminology graduates of Eastern Washington University earn a median of $40,228 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 91%.
Washington State University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value criminology schools. Set in the town of Pullman, Washington State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,391 in tuition and fees, compared with $29,950 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminology graduates is $21,903. Criminology graduates of Washington State University earn a median of $54,697 early in their careers. Set against $21,903 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Pacific Lutheran University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value criminology schools. Located in the suburb of Tacoma, Pacific Lutheran University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $50,916. Typical student debt for criminology graduates is $23,667. Early-career criminology graduates make about $49,181. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Gonzaga University one of the best values for criminology. Set in the city of Spokane, Gonzaga University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $55,480. Criminology graduates carry a median of $20,994 in student loans. Criminology graduates of Gonzaga University earn a median of $38,028 early in their careers. Set against $20,994 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Gonzaga University admits about 82% of applicants.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, 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 4 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.
