by our College Data Analytics Team
[Criminology](/majors/social-sciences/criminology/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. The schools below stand out for the salaries their criminology graduates go on to command.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 100 schools on the early-career earnings of their criminology graduates.
What’s on this page:
Where you study criminology affects what graduates go on to earn. That is why we developed our Highest Paid Criminology Graduates ranking. It looks at the median early-career salaries graduates earn, so you can find the schools whose criminology degrees pay off the most.
We offer a number of rankings, including this Highest Paid Criminology Graduates list, to help you decide. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about our methodology
If you want to know which schools send criminology graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Leading the list is Villanova University, our #1 for criminology graduate salaries in the United States. Villanova University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Villanova. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $74,408.
A rank of #2 makes Le Moyne College one of the highest-paying schools for criminology. Le Moyne College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Syracuse. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $63,591.
Saint Anselm College produces some of the highest-paid graduates in criminology, landing the #3 spot this year. Saint Anselm College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Manchester. Criminology graduates of Saint Anselm College earn a median of about $75,372 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #4 makes Lasell College one of the highest-paying schools for criminology. Located in the city of Newton, Lasell College is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career criminology graduates from Lasell College make a median of around $62,717 per year.
A rank of #5 makes Mount St Marys University one of the highest-paying schools for criminology. Mount St Marys University is a private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Emmitsburg. Criminology graduates of Mount St Marys University earn a median of about $76,537 a year early in their careers.
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West Virginia University earned the #6 position for criminology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Morgantown, West Virginia University is a public institution. Early-career criminology graduates from West Virginia University make a median of around $55,034 per year.
University Of Southern Maine placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for criminology. University Of Southern Maine is a public school located in the city of Portland. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $63,574.
University Of Maryland College Park ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Set in the suburb of College Park, University Of Maryland College Park is a public institution. Early-career criminology graduates from University Of Maryland College Park make a median of around $69,545 per year.
Lynchburg College came in at #9 for criminology graduate earnings this year. Lynchburg College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg. Criminology graduates of Lynchburg College earn a median of about $53,678 a year early in their careers.
University Of St Thomas Minnesota landed the #10 spot for criminology salaries this year. Set in the city of Saint Paul, University Of St Thomas Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $68,406.
Mount St Marys College came in at #11 for criminology graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Los Angeles, Mount St Marys College is a private not-for-profit institution. Criminology graduates of Mount St Marys College earn a median of about $52,011 a year early in their careers.
University Of Minnesota Duluth ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. Located in the city of Duluth, University Of Minnesota Duluth is a public institution. Criminology graduates of University Of Minnesota Duluth earn a median of about $64,784 a year early in their careers.
Lebanon Valley College earned the #13 position for criminology graduate earnings this year. Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Annville. Criminology graduates of Lebanon Valley College earn a median of about $69,387 a year early in their careers.
Texas A And M University Commerce came in at #14 for criminology graduate earnings this year. Texas A And M University Commerce is a public school located in the town of Commerce. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $60,575.
Albright College landed the #15 spot for criminology salaries this year. Set in the city of Reading, Albright College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the criminology program here go on to a median salary of roughly $50,848.
Saint Josephs University came in at #16 for criminology graduate earnings this year. Saint Josephs University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Philadelphia. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from Saint Josephs University typically earn about $67,957 annually.
Stonehill College earned the #17 position for criminology graduate earnings this year. Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Easton. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from Stonehill College typically earn about $63,767 annually.
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminology schools. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a public school located in the city of Minneapolis. Early-career criminology graduates from University Of Minnesota Twin Cities make a median of around $61,352 per year.
Framingham State University came in at #19 for criminology graduate earnings this year. Framingham State University is a public school located in the city of Framingham. Early-career criminology graduates from Framingham State University make a median of around $60,589 per year.
University Of Wisconsin Stout landed the #20 spot for criminology salaries this year. Set in the town of Menomonie, University Of Wisconsin Stout is a public institution. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Stout typically earn about $49,004 annually.
University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth earned the #21 position for criminology graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of North Dartmouth, University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth is a public institution. Criminology graduates of University Of Massachusetts Dartmouth earn a median of about $65,646 a year early in their careers.
Gonzaga University placed #22 among the highest-paying schools for criminology. Set in the city of Spokane, Gonzaga University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from Gonzaga University typically earn about $64,680 annually.
Assumption College came in at #23 for criminology graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Worcester, Assumption College is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from Assumption College typically earn about $48,600 annually.
University Of Northern Iowa landed the #24 spot for criminology salaries this year. University Of Northern Iowa is a public school located in the city of Cedar Falls. After graduating, criminology degree recipients from University Of Northern Iowa typically earn about $54,690 annually.
Central Connecticut State University landed the #25 spot for criminology salaries this year. Set in the suburb of New Britain, Central Connecticut State University is a public institution. Early-career criminology graduates from Central Connecticut State University make a median of around $59,375 per year.
These schools rounded out the top of this year’s highest-paid criminology ranking:
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This ranking is produced by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries criminology graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 100 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
