2025 Best Criminology Schools in the Plains States Region
16
Colleges in the Plains States Region
888
Criminology Degrees Awarded
$39,038
Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in
criminology, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #80 in the country in terms of popularity. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 16 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Criminology Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 888 degrees in criminology to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Criminology School
The criminology program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Criminology rankings. We derive our Best Overall Criminology School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Criminology Rankings by Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Criminology Schools in the Plains States Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for Criminology in the Plains States Region
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the criminology degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top Plains States Region Schools in Criminology
It's difficult to beat University of Minnesota - Twin Cities if you wish to pursue a degree in criminology. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.
There were approximately 129 criminology students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year. Criminology degree recipients from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities get an earnings boost of approximately $2,742 above the typical income of criminology graduates.
More information about a degree in criminology from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
It's difficult to beat University of Iowa if you wish to pursue a degree in criminology. Located in the city of Iowa City, Iowa is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #80 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Iowa is a great university overall.
There were roughly 86 criminology students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent data year. After graduating, criminology degree recipients usually earn an average of $38,520 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in criminology from University of Iowa
Bachelors
Degree Type
BS in Criminal Justice - Criminology & Crime Analysis
Program Name
Track and understand criminal behavior by earning a BS in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Criminology & Crime Analysis.
More information about a degree in BS in Criminal Justice - Criminology & Crime Analysis from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
Any student who is interested in criminology has to take a look at University of Minnesota - Duluth. Located in the small city of Duluth, UMN Duluth is a public university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #518 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMN Duluth is a great university overall.
There were roughly 56 criminology students who graduated with this degree at UMN Duluth in the most recent year we have data available. Criminology degree recipients from University of Minnesota - Duluth get an earnings boost of about $3,524 over the typical income of criminology majors.
More information about a degree in criminology from University of Minnesota - Duluth
Missouri State University - Springfield is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in criminology. Missouri State is a very large public university located in the city of Springfield. A Best Colleges rank of #575 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Missouri State is a great university overall.
There were about 134 criminology students who graduated with this degree at Missouri State in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, criminology degree recipients usually make around $36,185 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in criminology from Missouri State University - Springfield
UNI is a moderately-sized public university located in the city of Cedar Falls. A Best Colleges rank of #270 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNI is a great university overall.
There were about 37 criminology students who graduated with this degree at UNI in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the criminology program at University of Northern Iowa make $4,876 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in criminology from University of Northern Iowa
UST MN is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Saint Paul. A Best Colleges rank of #106 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UST MN is a great university overall.
There were roughly 16 criminology students who graduated with this degree at UST MN in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the criminology major at University of St Thomas Minnesota earn $2,742 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in criminology from University of St Thomas Minnesota
Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, UMSL is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 11th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.
There were roughly 94 criminology students who graduated with this degree at UMSL in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the criminology program make an average of $38,207 in their early career salary.
More information about a degree in criminology from University of Missouri - St Louis
Associates
Degree Type
AS in Criminal Justice
Program Name
Gain a solid foundation in the American justice system, criminal law and social science when you earn your associate degree in criminal justice online from Southern New Hampshire University.
More information about a degree in AS in Criminal Justice from Southern New Hampshire UniversityRelated Programs
UIU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Fayette. This university ranks 28th out of 37 schools for overall quality in the state of Iowa.
There were roughly 52 criminology students who graduated with this degree at UIU in the most recent data year. Those criminology students who get their degree from Upper Iowa University receive $4,132 more than the standard criminology graduate.
More information about a degree in criminology from Upper Iowa University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In MO
55
Criminology Degrees Awarded
Located in the large city of Kansas City, UMKC is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 14th out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.
There were roughly 55 criminology students who graduated with this degree at UMKC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminology from University of Missouri - Kansas City
Hamline is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Saint Paul. A Best Colleges rank of #559 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Hamline is a great university overall.
There were roughly 45 criminology students who graduated with this degree at Hamline in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the criminology major at Hamline University get $2,166 more than the typical college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in criminology from Hamline University
