2027 Best Value Criminology Schools in North Carolina

[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminology education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for criminology students.
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2027 Best Value Criminology Schools in North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminology Schools
East Carolina University earned the #1 spot for value among criminology schools in North Carolina. Located in the city of Greenville, East Carolina University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,361, compared with $23,638 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,747 to complete the criminology program here. Early-career criminology graduates make about $51,931. That is a strong return on a $24,747 median debt. East Carolina University admits about 89% of applicants.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminology, landing the #2 spot this year. North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a very large public school located in the city of Raleigh. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,799, compared with $32,847 for out-of-state students. Criminology graduates carry a median of $21,875 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from North Carolina State University At Raleigh generally make around $35,076. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 42%.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminology, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,277, while out-of-state students pay about $24,152. Criminology graduates carry a median of $22,915 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Wilmington generally make around $34,443. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of North Carolina At Wilmington admits about 64% 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.