2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Georgia
[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 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for criminology students.
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2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Georgia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminology Schools
University Of West Georgia tops our 2026 list of the best value criminology schools in Georgia. Set in the town of Carrollton, University Of West Georgia is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,088, with out-of-state students paying around $17,800. Criminology graduates carry a median of $28,500 in student loans. Criminology graduates of University Of West Georgia earn a median of $33,839 early in their careers. Set against $28,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 52% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Georgia Southern University one of the best values for criminology. Set in the town of Statesboro, Georgia Southern University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,022, while out-of-state students pay about $17,734. Criminology graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career criminology graduates make about $35,588. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Students looking for strong value in criminology will find it at Mercer University, which ranked #3. Mercer University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Macon. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,565. Students borrow a median of $32,463 to complete the criminology program here. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Mercer University generally make around $56,699. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Mercer University admits about 69% of applicants.
More Criminology Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 3 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.
