2026 Best Criminology Schools in Washington
Criminology programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their criminology programs.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best criminology schools.
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Best Schools for Criminology in Washington
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall criminology education in Washington.
Top Schools in Criminology
Leading the list is Gonzaga University, our #1 school for criminology. Located in the city of Spokane, Gonzaga University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Roughly 86% of students complete a degree within six years here. Gonzaga University awarded about 24 criminology degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminology degree from Gonzaga University earn around $38,028 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $20,994.
Read more about the criminology program at Gonzaga University
Washington State University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in criminology, landing the #2 spot this year. This very large public university is located in the town of Pullman. The six-year graduation rate is 60%. Washington State University awarded about 169 criminology degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the criminology program make about $54,697 in their early career. Washington State University graduates carry a median of $21,903 in student loans.
See the full criminology program report for Washington State University
A rank of #3 makes Eastern Washington University one of the top schools for criminology. Eastern Washington University is a large public school located in the town of Cheney. Eastern Washington University graduates 44% of students within six years. Eastern Washington University awarded about 64 criminology degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Eastern Washington University generally make around $40,228. Eastern Washington University graduates carry a median of $19,295 in student loans.
See the full criminology program report for Eastern Washington University
Pacific Lutheran University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminology, ranking #4. Set in the suburb of Tacoma, Pacific Lutheran University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 69% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 17 criminology degrees were awarded at Pacific Lutheran University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Pacific Lutheran University generally make around $49,181. Pacific Lutheran University graduates carry a median of $23,667 in student loans.
Read more about the criminology program at Pacific Lutheran University
More Criminology Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 5 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.
