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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Georgia

3 Colleges in the United States
$28,988 Avg Student Debt
$53,726 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value Criminology Badge [Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for criminology students.

What’s on this page:

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2026 Best Value Criminology Schools in Georgia

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

Best Value Criminology Schools

1

University Of West Georgia tops our 2026 list of the best value criminology schools in Georgia. Set in the town of Carrollton, University Of West Georgia is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,088, with out-of-state students paying around $17,800. Criminology graduates carry a median of $28,500 in student loans. Criminology graduates of University Of West Georgia earn a median of $33,839 early in their careers. Set against $28,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 52% of applicants are accepted.

2

A rank of #2 makes Georgia Southern University one of the best values for criminology. Set in the town of Statesboro, Georgia Southern University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,022, while out-of-state students pay about $17,734. Criminology graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Early-career criminology graduates make about $35,588. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 88%.

3

Students looking for strong value in criminology will find it at Mercer University, which ranked #3. Mercer University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Macon. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $31,565. Students borrow a median of $32,463 to complete the criminology program here. Soon after graduation, criminology degree recipients from Mercer University generally make around $56,699. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Mercer University admits about 69% of applicants.

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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 · 3 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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