2026 Best Criminology Associate’s Degree Schools
Criminology degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their criminology programs.
College Factual analyzed 249 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best criminology schools.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Criminology in the United States
See the highest-ranked criminology schools offering a associate’s degree below.
Top Schools in Criminology
Leading the list is Utah State University, our #1 school for criminology. Set in the city of Logan, Utah State University is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 57%. There were roughly 29 criminology students who graduated with this degree at Utah State University in the most recent data year. Criminology graduates of Utah State University earn a median of $50,348 early in their careers. Utah State University graduates carry a median of $16,191 in student loans.
More information about a degree in criminology from Utah State University
Pennsylvania Western University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in criminology, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the town of California, Pennsylvania Western University is a large public university. About 52% of students finish within six years. About 15 criminology degrees were awarded at Pennsylvania Western University in the most recent year.
Get the full criminology details for Pennsylvania Western University
Students looking for a strong criminology program will find one at Capital Community College, which ranked #3. Set in the city of New Britain, Capital Community College is a very large public institution. About 83 criminology degrees were awarded at Capital Community College in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminology degree from Capital Community College earn around $43,086 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $12,059 to complete this degree.
Get the full criminology details for Capital Community College
Paris Junior College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in criminology, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the town of Paris, Paris Junior College is a moderately-sized public institution. There were roughly 19 criminology students who graduated with this degree at Paris Junior College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Paris Junior College generally make around $38,811. Students borrow a median of $8,846 to complete this degree.
Read more about the criminology program at Paris Junior College
Students looking for a strong criminology program will find one at Central New Mexico Community College, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Albuquerque, Central New Mexico Community College is a very large public institution. About 79 criminology degrees were awarded at Central New Mexico Community College in the most recent year. Criminology graduates of Central New Mexico Community College earn a median of $28,987 early in their careers. Central New Mexico Community College graduates carry a median of $10,112 in student loans.
More information about a degree in criminology from Central New Mexico Community College
Other Criminology Degree Levels
Explore the best criminology schools at other degree levels:
View All Criminology Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 249 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
