2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Minnesota
[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/criminology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminology education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for criminology students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Minnesota
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the criminology degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Criminology Schools
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities tops our 2026 list of the best value criminology schools in Minnesota. Located in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $17,214, with out-of-state students paying around $38,362. Typical student debt for criminology graduates is $20,500. Criminology graduates of University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn a median of $41,780 early in their careers. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 80%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Minnesota Duluth earned it the #2 place for criminology. Located in the city of Duluth, University Of Minnesota Duluth is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $14,608 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $20,134. Students borrow a median of $23,887 to complete the criminology program here. Early-career criminology graduates make about $42,562. Set against $23,887 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Hamline University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value criminology schools. Located in the city of Saint Paul, Hamline University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $50,004. Students borrow a median of $26,500 to complete the criminology program here. Criminology graduates of Hamline University earn a median of $41,204 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,500 median debt. Hamline University admits about 88% of applicants.
University Of St Thomas Minnesota came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value criminology schools. Located in the city of Saint Paul, University Of St Thomas Minnesota is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $54,398. Typical student debt for criminology graduates is $27,000. Early-career criminology graduates make about $41,780. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 85%.
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 the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- 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.
