ADBLOCK #102
College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Massachusetts

6 Colleges in the United States
$26,387 Avg Student Debt
$65,290 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value Criminology Badge [Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for criminology students.

What’s on this page:

ADBLOCK #159
DEBUG: Raw major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Initial offers_url = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/social-sciences/criminology/offers.json", major_slug = ""
DEBUG: After cleaning major_slug = ""
DEBUG: Before URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/social-sciences/criminology/offers.json"
DEBUG: After TrimSuffix = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/social-sciences/criminology/offers.json"
DEBUG: After HTTPS placeholder = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/social-sciences/criminology/offers.json"
DEBUG: After slash cleaning = "HTTPS_TEMP_PLACEHOLDERwww.collegefactual.com/majors/social-sciences/criminology/offers.json"
DEBUG: After URL cleaning = "https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/social-sciences/criminology/offers.json"
DEBUG: offers_url = https://www.collegefactual.com/majors/social-sciences/criminology/offers.json
DEBUG: major_slug = ""
DEBUG: offers_url is valid, proceeding to fetch data
DEBUG: offers_data.offers found, count = 10
DEBUG: Specific major detected (cip4 = 45.04), keeping min_relevance at 0.8
DEBUG: Starting relevance filtering - min_relevance = 0.8, max_relevance = 1
DEBUG: Checking offer "Criminology (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Criminology (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Grad Cert - Criminology (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "Grad Cert - Criminology (I Have a Bachelors)" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "BS in Criminal Justice - Criminology & Crime Analysis" with relevance 1
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "BS in Criminal Justice - Criminology & Crime Analysis" ACCEPTED (relevance 1)
DEBUG: Checking offer "AS in Criminal Justice" with relevance 0.8
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "AS in Criminal Justice" ACCEPTED (relevance 0.8)
DEBUG: Checking offer "BS in Criminal Justice" with relevance 0.8
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "BS in Criminal Justice" ACCEPTED (relevance 0.8)
DEBUG: Checking offer "MS in Criminal Justice" with relevance 0.8
DEBUG: ✓ Offer "MS in Criminal Justice" ACCEPTED (relevance 0.8)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Criminal Justice & Law Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 0.6
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Criminal Justice & Law Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" REJECTED (relevance 0.6)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Grad Cert - Law Enforcement (I Have a Bachelors)" with relevance 0.6
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Grad Cert - Law Enforcement (I Have a Bachelors)" REJECTED (relevance 0.6)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Science & Engineering Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 0.6
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Science & Engineering Bachelors Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" REJECTED (relevance 0.6)
DEBUG: Checking offer "Science & Engineering Diploma Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" with relevance 0.6
DEBUG: ✗ Offer "Science & Engineering Diploma Programs (I Have a HS Diploma or Associate Degree)" REJECTED (relevance 0.6)
DEBUG: relevant_offers count = 6
DEBUG: relevant_offers > 0, checking for ESYOH offers
DEBUG: ESYOH filtering - found 2 ESYOH offers with relevance >= 0.8
DEBUG: esyoh_offers count = 2
DEBUG: ESYOH offers found, rendering ESYOH widget
DEBUG: most_relevant_only = true, filtering for most relevant
DEBUG: Found 2 offers with relevance >= 1.0

2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Massachusetts

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminology, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Criminology Schools

1

Leading the list is Framingham State University, our #1 best value for criminology in Massachusetts. Framingham State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Framingham. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,920, with out-of-state students paying around $18,000. Criminology graduates carry a median of $25,974 in student loans. Early-career criminology graduates make about $41,431. That is a strong return on a $25,974 median debt. The acceptance rate is 84%.

2

University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminology, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of North Dartmouth, University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $15,612, with out-of-state students paying around $32,567. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminology program here. Early-career criminology graduates make about $37,535. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 91%.

3
Lasell College crest
Lasell College
Newton, MA

Lasell College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminology, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Newton, Lasell College is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $27,040. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminology program here. Criminology graduates of Lasell College earn a median of $88,950 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.

4
Assumption College crest
Assumption College
Worcester, MA

A rank of #4 makes Assumption College one of the best values for criminology. Set in the city of Worcester, Assumption College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $51,356. Criminology graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Assumption College generally make around $48,600. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 83%.

5
Stonehill College crest
Stonehill College
Easton, MA

Stonehill College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value criminology schools. Stonehill College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Easton. Students from in state pay about $56,370 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminology graduates is $25,000. Criminology graduates of Stonehill College earn a median of $40,928 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 66% of applicants are accepted.

ADBLOCK #101
6

Emmanuel College Massachusetts placed #6 among the best values for criminology. Emmanuel College Massachusetts is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. In-state tuition and fees average $48,550. Students borrow a median of $26,348 to complete the criminology program here. Criminology graduates of Emmanuel College Massachusetts earn a median of $36,824 early in their careers. Set against $26,348 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.

ADBLOCK #173
View All Criminology Rankings >

ADBLOCK #115

Notes and References

This ranking is produced 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 · 7 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 ranked schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

ADBLOCK #116

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs
ADBLOCK #613

Compare Your School Options