2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Indiana
[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for criminology students.
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2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Indiana
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
Our analysis ranked Indiana State University the best value for a degree in criminology in Indiana. Set in the city of Terre Haute, Indiana State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,258 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,322. Criminology graduates carry a median of $24,970 in student loans. Early-career criminology graduates make about $44,201. Set against $24,970 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Indiana State University admits about 81% of applicants.
Valparaiso University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value criminology schools. Valparaiso University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Valparaiso. In-state tuition and fees average $48,450. Criminology graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Valparaiso University generally make around $30,653. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Valparaiso University admits about 89% of applicants.
Butler University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value criminology schools. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Butler University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $47,560. Criminology graduates carry a median of $25,351 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Butler University generally make around $68,222. That is a strong return on a $25,351 median debt. The acceptance rate is 85%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Saint Mary Of The Woods College earned it the #4 place for criminology. Located in the rural area of Saint Mary of the Woods, Saint Mary Of The Woods College is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $34,240 in tuition and fees. Criminology graduates carry a median of $28,366 in student loans. Early-career criminology graduates make about $48,088. That is a strong return on a $28,366 median debt. Saint Mary Of The Woods College admits about 72% of applicants.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
