by our College Data Analytics Team
[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The schools below stand out for the salaries their criminology graduates go on to command.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find where criminology graduates earn the most.
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Below are the schools whose criminology graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in criminology, no school beat Mount St Marys College this year. Mount St Marys College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. Early-career criminology graduates from Mount St Marys College make a median of around $52,011 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in criminology will find them at Gonzaga University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Spokane, Gonzaga University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career criminology graduates from Gonzaga University make a median of around $64,680 per year.
A rank of #3 makes Eastern Washington University one of the highest-paying schools for criminology. Eastern Washington University is a public school located in the town of Cheney. Early-career criminology graduates from Eastern Washington University make a median of around $54,199 per year.
University Of California Irvine produces some of the highest-paid graduates in criminology, landing the #4 spot this year. University Of California Irvine is a public school located in the city of Irvine. Early-career criminology graduates from University Of California Irvine make a median of around $63,603 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of La Verne earned it the #5 place for criminology. Located in the suburb of La Verne, University Of La Verne is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $61,109.
California State University San Marcos ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Located in the suburb of San Marcos, California State University San Marcos is a public institution. Criminology graduates of California State University San Marcos earn a median of about $54,589 a year early in their careers.
Humboldt State University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Humboldt State University is a public school located in the town of Arcata. Criminology graduates of Humboldt State University earn a median of about $48,299 a year early in their careers.
California State University Fresno ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Located in the city of Fresno, California State University Fresno is a public institution. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from California State University Fresno typically earn about $42,026 annually.
California Lutheran University earned the #9 position for criminology graduate earnings this year. California Lutheran University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Thousand Oaks. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $31,963.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries criminology graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 9 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.