2027 Best Value Criminology Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
[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.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value criminology schools.
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2027 Best Value Criminology Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminology Schools
Our analysis ranked Colorado State University Pueblo the best value for a degree in criminology in the Rocky Mountains Region. Located in the city of Pueblo, Colorado State University Pueblo is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,720, with out-of-state students paying around $17,944. Students borrow a median of $25,325 to complete the criminology program here. Criminology graduates of Colorado State University Pueblo earn a median of $49,098 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,325 median debt. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Idaho came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value criminology schools. Located in the town of Moscow, University Of Idaho is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,084, with out-of-state students paying around $28,320. Criminology graduates carry a median of $23,844 in student loans. Early-career criminology graduates make about $43,246. That is a strong return on a $23,844 median debt. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Utah State University came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value criminology schools. Utah State University is a very large public school located in the city of Logan. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,560, while out-of-state students pay about $24,993. Typical student debt for criminology graduates is $16,191. 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. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Utah came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value criminology schools. Located in the city of Salt Lake City, University Of Utah is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,620, while out-of-state students pay about $30,860. Students borrow a median of $20,798 to complete the criminology program here. Criminology graduates of University Of Utah earn a median of $60,527 early in their careers. Set against $20,798 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 86%.
The University Of Montana is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminology, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Missoula, The University Of Montana is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $8,552 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $33,671. Typical student debt for criminology graduates is $24,342. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from The University Of Montana generally make around $42,654. That is a strong return on a $24,342 median debt. The University Of Montana admits about 96% of applicants.
Fort Lewis College came in at #6 for value in criminology this year. Fort Lewis College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Durango. Students from in state pay about $9,958 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $21,526. Typical student debt for criminology graduates is $18,888. Criminology graduates of Fort Lewis College earn a median of $30,676 early in their careers. Set against $18,888 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Regis University placed #7 among the best values for criminology. Located in the city of Denver, Regis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $28,140. Typical student debt for criminology graduates is $39,337. Criminology graduates of Regis University earn a median of $48,522 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Denver ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value criminology schools. Set in the city of Denver, University Of Denver is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $61,398. Typical student debt for criminology graduates is $22,000. Early-career criminology graduates make about $40,667. That is a strong return on a $22,000 median debt. University Of Denver admits about 78% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
