# Criminology

> A program that focuses on the systematic study of crime as a sociopathological phenomenon, the behavior of criminals, and the social institutions evolved to respond to crime. Includes instruction in the theory of crime, psychological and social bases of criminal behavior, social value systems and the theory of punishment, criminal law and criminal justice systems, penology, rehabilitation and recidivism, studies of specific types of crime, social attitudes and policy, and applications to specific issues in law enforcement administration and policy.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/criminology
- CIP code: 45.04 (Social Sciences)
- Colleges offering it: 220 at its most common degree level

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 9 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Associate's | 12 | not reported | $46,346 | $12,000 |
| Bachelor's | 220 | $42,274 | $56,224 | $21,740 |
| Master's | 63 | $54,524 | $67,163 | $35,499 |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Doctoral | 17 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 9 | not reported | $73,972 | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [University of Miami](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-miami-2955) | Coral Gables, FL | $70,461 | $12,125 |
| [University of St Thomas-Minnesota](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-st-thomas-minnesota-3055) | Saint Paul, MN | $70,419 | $26,250 |
| [Saint Anselm College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/saint-anselm-college-2292) | Manchester, NH | $69,676 | $27,000 |
| [Gonzaga University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/gonzaga-university-1094) | Spokane, WA | $68,190 | $23,053 |
| [Assumption University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/assumption-university-127) | Worcester, MA | $67,883 | $27,000 |
| [Emmanuel College-Massachusetts](https://www.collegesref.com/college/emmanuel-college-massachusetts-912) | Boston, MA | $67,814 | $27,000 |
| [University of Maryland-College Park](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-maryland-college-park-main-campus-2949) | College Park, MD | $67,258 | $14,000 |
| [Maryville University of Saint Louis](https://www.collegesref.com/college/maryville-university-of-saint-louis-1610) | Saint Louis, MO | $66,612 | $23,624 |
| [Le Moyne College-New York](https://www.collegesref.com/college/le-moyne-college-new-york-1462) | Syracuse, NY | $65,956 | $19,500 |
| [Stonehill College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/stonehill-college-2610) | Easton, MA | $64,957 | $25,000 |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/brownfield-redevelopment-specialists-and-site-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Compliance Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/compliance-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Loss Prevention Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/loss-prevention-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Managers, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/managers-all-other): $141,900 median pay
- [Regulatory Affairs Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/regulatory-affairs-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Wind Energy Development Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/wind-energy-development-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Wind Energy Operations Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/wind-energy-operations-managers): $141,900 median pay
- [Clinical Neuropsychologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/clinical-neuropsychologists): $110,840 median pay
- [Neuropsychologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/neuropsychologists): $110,840 median pay
- [Psychologists, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/psychologists-all-other): $110,840 median pay
- [Sociologists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/sociologists): $106,030 median pay
- [Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/criminal-justice-and-law-enforcement-teachers-postsecondary): $76,590 median pay
- [Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/life-physical-and-social-science-technicians-all-other): $62,280 median pay
- [Quality Control Analysts](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/quality-control-analysts): $62,280 median pay
- [Remote Sensing Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/remote-sensing-technicians): $62,280 median pay

## More in Social Sciences

- [Political Science and Government](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/political-science-and-government): 1,087 colleges
- [Sociology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/sociology): 944 colleges
- [Economics](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/economics): 767 colleges
- [Anthropology](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/anthropology): 455 colleges
- [International Relations and National Security Studies](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/international-relations-and-national-security-studies): 366 colleges
- [Social Sciences, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/social-sciences-general): 317 colleges
- [Geography and Cartography](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/geography-and-cartography): 293 colleges
- [Social Sciences, Other](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/social-sciences-other): 108 colleges

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/