2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Virginia
[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for criminology students.
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2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminology Schools
Our analysis ranked Old Dominion University the best value for a degree in criminology in Virginia. Located in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,750, compared with $33,780 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the criminology program here. Early-career criminology graduates make about $37,255. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Old Dominion University admits about 90% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in criminology will find it at Mary Baldwin College, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Staunton, Mary Baldwin College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $21,187. Criminology graduates carry a median of $29,562 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Mary Baldwin College generally make around $60,386. That is a strong return on a $29,562 median debt.
Virginia Union University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value criminology schools. Set in the city of Richmond, Virginia Union University is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,830. Students borrow a median of $31,450 to complete the criminology program here. Early-career criminology graduates make about $30,291. Set against $31,450 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 98%.
Lynchburg College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value criminology schools. Set in the city of Lynchburg, Lynchburg College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,750. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Lynchburg College generally make around $107,159. Roughly 43% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Randolph Macon College earned it the #5 place for criminology. Set in the suburb of Ashland, Randolph Macon College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,466. Criminology graduates carry a median of $26,432 in student loans. Criminology graduates of Randolph Macon College earn a median of $40,317 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,432 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
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 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.
