2026 Best Criminology Schools in Illinois
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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 13 schools to find the best for criminology students.
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Best Schools for Criminology in Illinois
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the criminology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Criminology
Leading the list is Depaul University, our #1 school for criminology. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 68%. About 54 criminology degrees were awarded at Depaul University in the most recent year. Criminology graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $55,226 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $25,310.
See the full criminology program report for Depaul University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in criminology, landing the #2 spot this year. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public school located in the town of Carbondale. About 60% of students finish within six years. About 65 criminology degrees were awarded at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in the most recent year. Graduates of the criminology program make about $37,645 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,000.
Get the full criminology details for Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Students looking for a strong criminology program will find one at Rockford College, which ranked #3. Rockford College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Rockford. Roughly 47% of students complete a degree within six years here. Rockford College awarded about 13 criminology degrees in the most recent data year. Criminology graduates of Rockford College earn a median of $56,020 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $28,094 to complete this degree.
Read more about the criminology program at Rockford College
Northern Illinois University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best criminology schools. Located in the suburb of Dekalb, Northern Illinois University is a large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 49%. About 13 criminology degrees were awarded at Northern Illinois University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Northern Illinois University generally make around $52,308. Typical student debt for the program is $25,209.
Read more about the criminology program at Northern Illinois University
Students looking for a strong criminology program will find one at National Louis University, which ranked #5. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. National Louis University graduates 30% of students within six years. About 49 criminology degrees were awarded at National Louis University in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminology degree from National Louis University earn around $30,170 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,437.
Get the full criminology details for National Louis University
Millikin University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best criminology schools. Located in the city of Decatur, Millikin University is a small private not-for-profit university. About 55% of students finish within six years. About 14 criminology degrees were awarded at Millikin University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Millikin University generally make around $58,852. Students borrow a median of $26,036 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in criminology from Millikin 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 · 13 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.
