by our College Data Analytics Team
[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a criminology degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the early-career earnings of their criminology graduates.
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If you want to know which schools send criminology graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is Le Moyne College, our #1 for criminology graduate salaries in New York. Le Moyne College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Syracuse. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $63,591.
A rank of #2 makes Hofstra University one of the highest-paying schools for criminology. Located in the suburb of Hempstead, Hofstra University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career criminology graduates from Hofstra University make a median of around $66,633 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Saint John Fisher College earned it the #3 place for criminology. Set in the suburb of Rochester, Saint John Fisher College is a private not-for-profit institution. Criminology graduates of Saint John Fisher College earn a median of about $67,894 a year early in their careers.
Suny College At Cortland came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Suny College At Cortland is a public school located in the town of Cortland. Criminology graduates of Suny College At Cortland earn a median of about $62,640 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in criminology will find them at Suny College At Old Westbury, which ranked #5. Suny College At Old Westbury is a public school located in the suburb of Old Westbury. Early-career criminology graduates from Suny College At Old Westbury make a median of around $55,759 per year.
Cuny John Jay College Of Criminal Justice placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for criminology. Located in the city of New York, Cuny John Jay College Of Criminal Justice is a public institution. Criminology graduates of Cuny John Jay College Of Criminal Justice earn a median of about $56,457 a year early in their careers.
Niagara University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Set in the suburb of Niagara University, Niagara University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career criminology graduates from Niagara University make a median of around $36,781 per year.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their criminology graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 7 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.