by our College Data Analytics Team
[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying criminology schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose criminology graduates go on to earn the most.
Leading the list is Saint Josephs University, our #1 for criminology graduate salaries in the Middle Atlantic Region. Set in the city of Philadelphia, Saint Josephs University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from Saint Josephs University typically earn about $64,854 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus earned it the #2 place for criminology. Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus is a public school located in the town of Indiana. Early-career criminology graduates from Indiana University Of Pennsylvania Main Campus make a median of around $49,276 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Saint Vincent College earned it the #3 place for criminology. Saint Vincent College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Latrobe. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from Saint Vincent College typically earn about $42,613 annually.
A rank of #4 makes St Johns University New York one of the highest-paying schools for criminology. St Johns University New York is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Queens. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from St Johns University New York typically earn about $35,868 annually.
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 · 4 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.