by our College Data Analytics Team
[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminology education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value criminology schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the criminology degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in criminology, no school beat University Of Saint Mary this year. Located in the town of Leavenworth, University Of Saint Mary is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,380. Students borrow a median of $25,474 to complete the criminology program here. Early-career criminology graduates make about $42,633. Set against $25,474 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Benedictine College earned it the #2 place for criminology. Set in the town of Atchison, Benedictine College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $36,350. Criminology graduates carry a median of $24,990 in student loans. Criminology graduates of Benedictine College earn a median of $46,255 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.