2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Colorado
[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/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.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value criminology schools.
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2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Colorado
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminology Schools
Colorado State University Pueblo earned the #1 spot for value among criminology schools in Colorado. Located in the city of Pueblo, Colorado State University Pueblo is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,720, compared with $17,944 for out-of-state students. Criminology graduates carry a median of $25,325 in student loans. Early-career criminology graduates make about $49,098. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Colorado State University Pueblo admits about 95% of applicants.
Fort Lewis College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value criminology schools. Fort Lewis College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Durango. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,958, compared with $21,526 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminology graduates is $18,888. Early-career criminology graduates make about $30,676. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Fort Lewis College admits about 77% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Regis University earned it the #3 place for criminology. Set in the city of Denver, Regis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $28,140. Students borrow a median of $39,337 to complete the criminology program here. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Regis University generally make around $48,522. Set against $39,337 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in criminology will find it at University Of Denver, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Denver, University Of Denver is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $61,398. Criminology graduates carry a median of $22,000 in student loans. Criminology graduates of University Of Denver earn a median of $40,667 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
More Criminology Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 4 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.
