Based on more than 100,000 college degree programs and the starting salary data of over 5 million graduates, GradReports has ranked 2020’s best colleges by major, including criminology and criminal justice. According to its website, GradReport’s rankings represent the most comprehensive collection of data-driven college rankings available to date.
For students interested in criminal justice, Union Institute & University in Cincinnati, Ohio is the best bet. Alumni just one year out of college boast a median starting salary of $109,800. If that seems high, that’s because it is. Consider, for example, the second university on the list—Herzing University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin—whose alumni are making nearly half of that, $57,600.
Here are the rest of the top 5:
|
Ranking
|
School
|
Annual Tuition
|
Median Debt
|
Median Salary
|
|
1.
|
Union Institute & University
|
$12,896
|
$17,850
|
$109,800
|
|
2.
|
Herzing University
|
$13,850
|
$17,965
|
$57,600
|
|
3.
|
Central Christian College of Kansas
|
$17,240
|
$17,886
|
$51,800
|
|
4.
|
Bethel University - TN
|
$16,552
|
$28,875
|
$50,400
|
|
5.
|
Excelsior College
|
Not Provided
|
$12,500
|
$49,400
|
Click here for the complete list of 25.
For criminology majors, the story is a little different. Salary information for recent college graduates in this field is significantly lower than their criminal justice counterparts.
University of Maryland - College Park is ranked No. 1 with a salary of $39,100. Median salaries for the top 25 schools range from $32,100- to $39,100.
Here are the top 5 schools for criminology majors:
|
Ranking
|
School
|
Annual Tuition
|
Median Debt
|
Median Salary
|
|
1.
|
University of Maryland - College Park
|
$33,606
|
$16,468
|
$39,100
|
|
2.
|
University of Houston-Clear Lake
|
$19,270
|
$14,077
|
$38,800
|
|
3.
|
Framingham State University
|
$16,000
|
$25,000
|
$37,700
|
|
4.
|
University of Southern Maine
|
$20,594
|
$22,000
|
$37,500
|
|
5.
|
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
|
$28,285
|
$25,000
|
$37,300
|
Click here for the complete list of 25.
Tuition, median salaries, and median debt were reported by the U.S. Department of Education.