2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Kentucky
[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 1 schools to find the best return on investment for criminology students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Kentucky
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminology Schools
Our analysis ranked Western Kentucky University the best value for a degree in criminology in Kentucky. Set in the city of Bowling Green, Western Kentucky University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,652, while out-of-state students pay about $27,000. Typical student debt for criminology graduates is $26,000. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Western Kentucky University generally make around $32,370. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Roughly 94% of applicants are accepted.
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 · 1 school evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
