by our College Data Analytics TeamWe've pulled together some essential information you should know about the program, including how many students graduate each year, the ethnic diversity of these students, average starting salaries, and more. Also, learn how WKU ranks among other schools offering degrees in criminology.
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The bachelor's program at WKU was ranked #68 on College Factual's Best Schools for criminology list. It is also ranked #1 in Kentucky.
| Ranking Type | Rank |
|---|---|
| Best Criminology Bachelor’s Degree Schools | 67 |
| Best Criminology Schools | 68 |
During the 2021-2022 academic year, Western Kentucky University handed out 83 bachelor's degrees in criminology. This is an increase of 12% over the previous year when 74 degrees were handed out.
In 2022, 7 students received their master’s degree in criminology from WKU. This makes it the #34 most popular school for criminology master’s degree candidates in the country.
Criminology majors who earn their bachelor's degree from WKU go on to jobs where they make a median salary of $32,370 a year. Unfortunately, this is lower than the national average of $37,476 for all criminology students.
While getting their bachelor's degree at WKU, criminology students borrow a median amount of $27,914 in student loans. This is higher than the the typical median of $23,152 for all criminology majors across the country.
The typical student loan payment of a bachelor's degree student from the criminology program at WKU is $319 per month.
During the 2022-2023 academic year, part-time undergraduate students at WKU paid an average of $1,125 per credit hour if they came to the school from out-of-state. In-state students paid a discounted rate of $477 per credit hour. The average full-time tuition and fees for undergraduates are shown in the table below.
| In State | Out of State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $11,436 | $27,000 |
| Books and Supplies | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| On Campus Room and Board | $12,043 | $12,043 |
| On Campus Other Expenses | $2,409 | $2,409 |
Learn more about WKU tuition and fees.
In the 2021-2022 academic year, 83 students earned a bachelor's degree in criminology from WKU. About 60% of these graduates were women and the other 40% were men.
The majority of bachelor's degree recipients in this major at WKU are white. In the most recent graduating class for which data is available, 80% of students fell into this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Western Kentucky University with a bachelor's in criminology.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 2 |
| Black or African American | 9 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2 |
| White | 66 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 0 |
| Other Races | 4 |
Online degrees for the WKU criminology bachelor’s degree program are not available at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the WKU Online Learning page.
During the 2021-2022 academic year, 4 students graduated with a master's degree in criminology from WKU. About 25% were men and 75% were women.
The majority of master's degree recipients in this major at WKU are white. In the most recent graduating class for which data is available, 100% of students fell into this category.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Western Kentucky University with a master's in criminology.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 0 |
| Black or African American | 0 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 0 |
| White | 4 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 0 |
| Other Races | 0 |
Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the criminology majors at Western Kentucky University.
More about our data sources and methodologies.