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. 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 26 schools to find where criminology graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send criminology graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is West Virginia University, our #1 for criminology graduate salaries in the Southeast Region. West Virginia University is a public school located in the city of Morgantown. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $55,034.
Lynchburg College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in criminology, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Lynchburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Criminology graduates of Lynchburg College earn a median of about $53,678 a year early in their careers.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Located in the city of Raleigh, North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a public institution. Criminology graduates of North Carolina State University At Raleigh earn a median of about $64,069 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in criminology will find them at Barry University, which ranked #4. Located in the suburb of Miami, Barry University is a private not-for-profit institution. Criminology graduates of Barry University earn a median of about $49,125 a year early in their careers.
University Of Florida came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. University Of Florida is a public school located in the city of Gainesville. Criminology graduates of University Of Florida earn a median of about $61,030 a year early in their careers.
University Of Florida Online landed the #6 spot for criminology salaries this year. Set in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida Online is a public institution. Early-career criminology graduates from University Of Florida Online make a median of around $61,030 per year.
University Of Miami earned the #7 position for criminology graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Coral Gables, University Of Miami is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from University Of Miami typically earn about $67,998 annually.
Florida Southern College placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for criminology. Located in the city of Lakeland, Florida Southern College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $51,091.
Old Dominion University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Set in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a public institution. Early-career criminology graduates from Old Dominion University make a median of around $51,760 per year.
University Of South Florida Main Campus earned the #10 position for criminology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Tampa, University Of South Florida Main Campus is a public institution. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from University Of South Florida Main Campus typically earn about $51,831 annually.
Loyola University New Orleans placed #11 among the highest-paying schools for criminology. Loyola University New Orleans is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of New Orleans. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $52,213.
Peace College came in at #12 for criminology graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Raleigh, Peace College is a private not-for-profit institution. Criminology graduates of Peace College earn a median of about $41,509 a year early in their careers.
Southern Wesleyan University ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Set in the suburb of Central, Southern Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. Criminology graduates of Southern Wesleyan University earn a median of about $40,834 a year early in their careers.
The University Of Tampa ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Located in the city of Tampa, The University Of Tampa is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from The University Of Tampa typically earn about $50,753 annually.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington came in at #15 for criminology graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a public institution. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $48,855.
University Of West Georgia ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Located in the town of Carrollton, University Of West Georgia is a public institution. Early-career criminology graduates from University Of West Georgia make a median of around $48,072 per year.
University Of Central Arkansas came in at #17 for criminology graduate earnings this year. University Of Central Arkansas is a public school located in the city of Conway. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from University Of Central Arkansas typically earn about $38,453 annually.
Arkansas State University Main Campus landed the #18 spot for criminology salaries this year. Arkansas State University Main Campus is a public school located in the city of Jonesboro. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $40,796.
Mississippi State University landed the #19 spot for criminology salaries this year. Set in the town of Mississippi State, Mississippi State University is a public institution. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from Mississippi State University typically earn about $45,871 annually.
Clemson University earned the #20 position for criminology graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a public institution. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from Clemson University typically earn about $38,057 annually.
Johnson C Smith University earned the #21 position for criminology graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Charlotte, Johnson C Smith University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $45,538.
Virginia Union University placed #22 among the highest-paying schools for criminology. Virginia Union University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Richmond. Criminology graduates of Virginia Union University earn a median of about $48,498 a year early in their careers.
Georgia Southern University earned the #23 position for criminology graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Statesboro, Georgia Southern University is a public institution. Early-career criminology graduates from Georgia Southern University make a median of around $35,588 per year.
Coker College ranked #24 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Set in the town of Hartsville, Coker College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from Coker College typically earn about $44,336 annually.
Flagler College St Augustine placed #25 among the highest-paying schools for criminology. Set in the suburb of Saint Augustine, Flagler College St Augustine is a private not-for-profit institution. Criminology graduates of Flagler College St Augustine earn a median of about $38,054 a year early in their careers.
These schools also send criminology graduates into strong-paying careers this year:
This list is compiled 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 · 26 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.