2026 Best Criminology Schools in Ohio
Criminology programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 15 schools to find the best for criminology students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Criminology in Ohio
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall criminology education in Ohio.
Top Schools in Criminology
Ohio State University Main Campus is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in criminology. This very large public university is located in the city of Columbus. Roughly 88% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 162 criminology students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State University Main Campus in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminology degree from Ohio State University Main Campus earn around $39,396 in the first couple years of their career. Ohio State University Main Campus graduates carry a median of $21,922 in student loans.
See the full criminology program report for Ohio State University Main Campus
Bowling Green State University Main Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best criminology schools. Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the town of Bowling Green. The six-year graduation rate is 61%. Bowling Green State University Main Campus awarded about 37 criminology degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminology degree from Bowling Green State University Main Campus earn around $57,019 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $25,449 to complete this degree.
See the full criminology program report for Bowling Green State University Main Campus
Cleveland State University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in criminology, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Cleveland, Cleveland State University is a large public university. Roughly 51% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 58 criminology degrees were awarded at Cleveland State University in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminology degree from Cleveland State University earn around $32,393 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,000.
More information about a degree in criminology from Cleveland State University
Students looking for a strong criminology program will find one at Capital University, which ranked #4. Located in the suburb of Columbus, Capital University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. About 60% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 16 criminology students who graduated with this degree at Capital University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the criminology program make about $32,984 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
Read more about the criminology program at Capital University
Wright State University Main Campus is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminology, ranking #5. Wright State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the suburb of Dayton. Wright State University Main Campus graduates 42% of students within six years. There were roughly 30 criminology students who graduated with this degree at Wright State University Main Campus in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminology degree from Wright State University Main Campus earn around $37,476 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $27,250.
More information about a degree in criminology from Wright State University Main Campus
More Criminology Rankings
View All Criminology Rankings >
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 · 15 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.
