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 highest-paying schools turn a criminology degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the early-career earnings of their criminology graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send criminology graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Lynchburg College tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools in Virginia. Located in the city of Lynchburg, Lynchburg College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career criminology graduates from Lynchburg College make a median of around $53,678 per year.
Old Dominion University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in criminology, landing the #2 spot this year. Located 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.
Students chasing top earnings in criminology will find them at Virginia Union University, which ranked #3. Virginia Union University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Richmond. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $48,498.
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 · 3 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.