2026 Best Criminology Schools in Missouri
Criminology is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools to find the best for criminology students.
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Best Schools for Criminology in Missouri
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall criminology education in Missouri.
Top Schools in Criminology
No school ranked higher than University Of Missouri Kansas City this year for criminology. Set in the city of Kansas City, University Of Missouri Kansas City is a large public institution. University Of Missouri Kansas City graduates 54% of students within six years. There were roughly 53 criminology students who graduated with this degree at University Of Missouri Kansas City in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from University Of Missouri Kansas City generally make around $60,324. Students borrow a median of $23,741 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in criminology from University Of Missouri Kansas City
University Of Missouri St Louis is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminology, ranking #2. University Of Missouri St Louis is a large public school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. University Of Missouri St Louis graduates 57% of students within six years. University Of Missouri St Louis awarded about 78 criminology degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from University Of Missouri St Louis generally make around $38,207. University Of Missouri St Louis graduates carry a median of $22,801 in student loans.
Read more about the criminology program at University Of Missouri St Louis
Missouri State University Springfield is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminology, ranking #3. Set in the city of Springfield, Missouri State University Springfield is a very large public institution. Missouri State University Springfield graduates 58% of students within six years. There were roughly 124 criminology students who graduated with this degree at Missouri State University Springfield in the most recent data year. Graduates of the criminology program make about $38,966 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,187.
More information about a degree in criminology from Missouri State University Springfield
A rank of #4 makes Maryville University Of Saint Louis one of the top schools for criminology. Maryville University Of Saint Louis is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. Roughly 66% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 32 criminology degrees were awarded at Maryville University Of Saint Louis in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Maryville University Of Saint Louis generally make around $67,909. Typical student debt for the program is $24,499.
Get the full criminology details for Maryville University Of Saint Louis
Lindenwood University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best criminology schools. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Saint Charles. Roughly 49% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 16 criminology students who graduated with this degree at Lindenwood University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Lindenwood University generally make around $47,448. Students borrow a median of $28,663 to complete this degree.
See the full criminology program report for Lindenwood University
Drury University placed #6 among the best criminology schools. This small private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Springfield. About 62% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 10 criminology students who graduated with this degree at Drury University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Drury University generally make around $37,267. Typical student debt for the program is $26,641.
Get the full criminology details for Drury University
Webster University landed the #7 spot for criminology this year. Webster University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. The six-year graduation rate is 64%. About 12 criminology degrees were awarded at Webster University in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminology degree from Webster University earn around $57,152 in the first couple years of their career. Webster University graduates carry a median of $25,939 in student loans.
See the full criminology program report for Webster University
Northwest Missouri State University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best criminology schools. Set in the town of Maryville, Northwest Missouri State University is a large public institution. Northwest Missouri State University graduates 54% of students within six years. There were roughly 17 criminology students who graduated with this degree at Northwest Missouri State University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminology degree from Northwest Missouri State University earn around $42,939 in the first couple years of their career. Northwest Missouri State University graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
Get the full criminology details for Northwest Missouri State University
More Criminology Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 11 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.
