Law enforcement officers in the United States dealt with more than a million crimes in 2016.
These crimes ranged from loitering to first-degree murder. But no matter the crime, these cases each required an investigation to understand the motives and particulars of the crime. Experts in criminology help with these important tasks.
What is criminology?
Criminology is the study of crimes, including the motivations behind those crimes and means of preventing them. Criminology focuses on the social impact of crime and the ways crime and community relate to each other. Research performed in our best online master's in criminology programs focuses on criminal behaviors, victimology, and crisis management.
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How much money can I earn working in criminology?
Criminology salaries can vary greatly, due to the variance in career trajectories for criminology graduates. Some go on to work in teaching, training, or community service positions, addressing the causes of crime at their roots. Training and development managers made more than $110,000 per year in 2018. Others move on to law enforcement careers, such as police work. Police officers made an average of $63,380 per year in 2018.
These fields are growing reasonably quickly, though not aggressively. Police officer positions are projected to grow at 7% over the next decade, while training and development positions should grow about 10%.
Why choose a master's in criminology?
A criminology master's program student should be interested in the reasons behind crimes, rather than simple crime and punishment. Those with analytical, systematic approaches to problems will succeed in their programs as well as many follow-up careers. As many of these professions involve working with victims and vulnerable individuals, compassion can also go a long way.
What are the best master's in criminology degree programs?
If a criminology degree is in your future, consider using these rankings to narrow down your school choices. These rankings use a mix of institutional merit, student fulfillment, and return on investment. A school will rank highly if it has a solid student-to-faculty ratio, a large endowment, or excellent outcomes for graduating students. Reports of satisfaction from current and former students also improve a school's overall rank.
The schools in these rankings came out as above-average on most if not all of these factors, and stand out from their peers on both career outcomes and overall value. If you want to pursue criminology without emptying your bank account, give these programs a look.
Top Master's in Criminology Degrees
See our rankings methodology page.
