by our College Data Analytics Team
[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 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.
University Of St Thomas Minnesota earned the #1 spot for highest-paid criminology graduates in the The Plains States Region. Located in the city of Saint Paul, University Of St Thomas Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from University Of St Thomas Minnesota typically earn about $68,406 annually.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Minnesota Duluth earned it the #2 place for criminology. University Of Minnesota Duluth is a public school located in the city of Duluth. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $64,784.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earned it the #3 place for criminology. Set in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a public institution. Early-career criminology graduates from University Of Minnesota Twin Cities make a median of around $61,352 per year.
University Of Northern Iowa produces some of the highest-paid graduates in criminology, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the city of Cedar Falls, University Of Northern Iowa is a public institution. Early-career criminology graduates from University Of Northern Iowa make a median of around $54,690 per year.
Upper Iowa University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Upper Iowa University is a private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Fayette. Criminology graduates of Upper Iowa University earn a median of about $46,898 a year early in their careers.
University Of Missouri St Louis earned the #6 position for criminology graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Saint Louis, University Of Missouri St Louis is a public institution. Early-career criminology graduates from University Of Missouri St Louis make a median of around $50,009 per year.
University Of Saint Mary earned the #7 position for criminology graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Leavenworth, University Of Saint Mary is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from University Of Saint Mary typically earn about $42,633 annually.
Hamline University came in at #8 for criminology graduate earnings this year. Hamline University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Saint Paul. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from Hamline University typically earn about $41,204 annually.
Missouri State University Springfield ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Located in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a public institution. Criminology graduates of Missouri State University Springfield earn a median of about $48,173 a year early in their careers.
University Of Iowa came in at #10 for criminology graduate earnings this year. University Of Iowa is a public school located in the city of Iowa City. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from University Of Iowa typically earn about $38,520 annually.
The ranking above is published 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 · 10 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.