by our College Data Analytics Team
[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value criminology schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the criminology degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in criminology, no school beat Mary Baldwin College this year. Mary Baldwin College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Staunton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,187. Typical student debt for criminology graduates is $29,562. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Mary Baldwin College generally make around $60,386. Set against $29,562 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Old Dominion University earned it the #2 place for criminology. Set in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,750, compared with $33,780 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the criminology program here. Early-career criminology graduates make about $37,255. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Virginia Union University earned it the #3 place for criminology. Set in the city of Richmond, Virginia Union University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,830. Criminology graduates carry a median of $31,450 in student loans. Early-career criminology graduates make about $30,291. That is a strong return on a $31,450 median debt. The acceptance rate is 98%.
A rank of #4 makes Lynchburg College one of the best values for criminology. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Lynchburg College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $36,750. Early-career criminology graduates make about $107,159. The acceptance rate is 43%.
This list is compiled 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.