College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminology

200 Ranked Colleges
9,710 Degrees Awarded
$32,876 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Criminology is the 80th most popular major in the country with 11,039 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, criminology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $33,568 and had an average of $24,453 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 9,710 criminology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 200 colleges that offered a degree in criminology. To top this list, a school must have a successful criminology program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Criminology Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree criminology students.

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 448 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine Criminology Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 405 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Criminology at University of South Florida - Main Campus

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fresno. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 397 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fresno Criminology Report

4

Out of the 200 schools in the Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maryland - College Park landed the #4 spot on the list. UMCP is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 335 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Criminology at UMCP

5
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Arizona University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s. NAU is a public institution located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 281 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northern Arizona University Criminology Report

6

California State University - San Marcos landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 266 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at California State University - San Marcos

7
UA crest
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The University of Alabama came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. UA is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 260 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at UA

8

John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. John Jay is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 219 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full John Jay Criminology Report

9
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

Old Dominion University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Old Dominion University is a large public school situated in Norfolk, Virginia. It awarded 209 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Criminology at Old Dominion University

10
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Wazzu is a large school located in Pullman, Washington that handed out 180 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at Washington State University

11
Stockton State crest
Stockton University
Galloway, New Jersey

Stockton University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Stockton State is a medium-sized school located in Galloway, New Jersey that handed out 175 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminology at Stockton State

12
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

With a ranking of #12, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 174 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full University of Florida Criminology Report

13

University of Nevada - Reno did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Reno, Nevada, this large public school handed out 171 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at University of Nevada - Reno

14

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is a public institution located in Indiana, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 164 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Criminology at IUP

15
GaSou crest
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, Georgia

Georgia Southern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #15. Georgia Southern University is a large school located in Statesboro, Georgia that handed out 156 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

Full GaSou Criminology Report

16

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 151 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Twin Cities Criminology Report

17

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 147 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Criminology Report

18
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s list. UD is a large public school situated in Newark, Delaware. It awarded 135 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Delaware Criminology Report

19
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking. WVU is located in Morgantown, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 134 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Criminology at West Virginia University

20

The University of Tampa ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 128 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at The University of Tampa

20
Indiana State crest
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

With a ranking of #20, Indiana State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Indiana State University is located in Terre Haute, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 128 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Criminology at Indiana State University

22
University of West Georgia crest
University of West Georgia
Carrollton, Georgia

University of West Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #22. University of West Georgia is a fairly large school located in Carrollton, Georgia that handed out 126 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Criminology at University of West Georgia

23
CCSU crest
Central Connecticut State University
New Britain, Connecticut

Central Connecticut State University ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s list. CCSU is located in New Britain, Connecticut and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 119 bachelors’s criminology degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Criminology at Central Connecticut State University

24

Texas A&M University - San Antonio did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. This medium-sized school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s criminology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Criminology at Texas A&M San Antonio

25

Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this large public school awarded 116 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminology students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminology at Missouri State University - Springfield

Rest of the Best 31 in Most Well Attended Criminology Major for a Bachelor’s

Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
URI crest
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, Rhode Island
27
28
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa
28
30
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan
31

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options