undergradly.
Major · Social Sciences

The study of why crime happens and how society responds to it

Criminology examines crime as a social and psychological phenomenon — the behavior of offenders, theories of punishment, and the institutions built to respond. About 8,556 degrees are awarded annually across 224 colleges, almost entirely at the bachelor's level. Five-year median earnings run around $54,819.

Schools offering
224
Annual completions
8,556
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$55k

About this major

Criminology is the systematic study of crime as a social phenomenon — why it happens, who commits it, how communities and institutions respond, and what the research says about what works. The CIP definition frames it as examining crime as a sociopathological phenomenon, the behavior of criminals, and the social institutions evolved to respond to crime. In practice, that means coursework spanning theory of crime causation (strain theory, social learning, labeling), criminal law, penology, rehabilitation and recidivism, and methods for studying crime empirically. It sits closer to sociology and social psychology than to applied law enforcement — students spend their time analyzing research and developing analytical frameworks, not training in police procedure.

The major draws people who are interested in the social structures behind crime rather than the operational side of criminal justice. If you're drawn to questions about inequality, deviance, institutional response, or the gap between law on paper and law in practice, that curiosity maps naturally onto the curriculum. Students who expect a more tactical or procedural program sometimes find the theoretical emphasis surprising — it is unmistakably a social science degree.

On the career side, criminology feeds a range of paths, several of which extend through graduate school. Sociologists, who earn a $101,690 median wage, typically hold a master's degree at minimum. Psychologists in research or applied settings ($117,580 median) follow a similar credential path. Postsecondary teaching in criminal justice requires a doctoral degree. At the bachelor's level, the realistic landing spots are in criminal justice administration, policy research, social services, and public-sector roles. About 8,556 degrees are awarded annually across 224 colleges, with the program heavily concentrated at the bachelor's level — the top producers include University of South Florida (388 completions), UC Irvine (358), and Cal State Fresno (351).

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Managers, all other $137k +4.5% Bachelor's degree
Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other $60k +3.5% Associate's degree
Psychologists, all other $118k +4.3% Master's degree
Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary $71k +2.0% Doctoral or professional degree
Sociologists $102k +3.6% Master's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$55k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$45k

Bachelor's

$55k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you're drawn to understanding crime as a social and structural phenomenon rather than just a procedural one — if you find yourself more interested in why recidivism rates are what they are than in the mechanics of arrest procedure. You may also fit well here if you're comfortable with social science research methods, enjoy reading and synthesizing empirical literature, and are thinking ahead toward graduate school in sociology, public policy, law, or a related field. If your interest is policy work — evaluating what interventions actually reduce crime — this major trains that kind of analytical thinking directly. The strong presence of CSU campuses and large public universities among the top producers (USF, UC Irvine, Old Dominion) also means transfer-friendly paths into criminology programs are genuinely available.

Think twice if your goal is a direct path into law enforcement or corrections — Criminal Justice/Safety Studies (about 33,388 completions annually, versus criminology's 8,556) is the more operational program and tends to be more directly connected to those hiring pipelines. Think twice also if graduate school isn't on your horizon and you're expecting the bachelor's alone to open well-defined, well-compensated career tracks — three of the five careers most associated with this major require a master's or doctoral credential, and the bachelor's five-year median of about $54,980 is moderate compared to technical fields. And if the idea of sitting with theoretical frameworks and empirical literature for four years sounds less engaging than applied training, the day-to-day curriculum will likely feel that way.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Criminology

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
University of South Florida Tampa, FL 0 388 388
University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA 0 358 358
California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA 0 351 351
University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD 0 290 290
The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL 0 266 266
California State University-San Marcos San Marcos, CA 0 178 178
Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ 0 176 176
Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA 0 167 167
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY 0 165 165
Washington State University Pullman, WA 0 165 165
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Psychology, General

133,179 completions/yr

Criminal Justice/Safety Studies

33,388 completions/yr

Sociology, General

26,513 completions/yr

Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration

20,738 completions/yr

Research and Experimental Psychology, Other

11,877 completions/yr

Experimental Psychology

3,493 completions/yr

Forensic Science and Technology

2,398 completions/yr

Applied Psychology

1,583 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Criminology majors actually study day-to-day?
Expect a mix of sociological theory, criminal law, research methods, and psychological perspectives on offending. Core coursework typically covers theories of crime causation, the structure of the criminal justice system, penology and corrections, and the study of specific crime types. Upper-division work often involves quantitative methods, policy analysis, and electives in areas like juvenile justice, white-collar crime, or victimology. It is closer to a social science curriculum than a law enforcement one — students spend more time reading empirical research and writing analytical papers than practicing procedural skills.
What kinds of jobs do Criminology graduates end up in?
The careers associated with this major are varied and include several that require graduate credentials. Sociologists ($101,690 median wage, 3.6% projected growth) and Psychologists in research or applied settings ($117,580 median, 4.3% growth) typically require a master's degree or higher. Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers at the postsecondary level ($71,470 median) require a doctoral degree. The most accessible bachelor's-level destinations tend to be roles in social services, case management, policy research, and law enforcement administration — occupations that don't map cleanly to a single SOC code in this data but are the realistic near-term landing spots for most bachelor's completers.
Does the degree level matter for Criminology — bachelor's versus associate's?
The earnings gap here is narrower than in technical fields: bachelor's completers in this major report a five-year median of about $54,980, while associate's completers report about $45,431 — a difference of roughly $9,500. That said, most of the more specific and higher-paying careers associated with criminology (sociologist, researcher, policy analyst, graduate-level teaching) require a bachelor's as a minimum, and many require graduate work beyond it. The associate's serves mainly as a transfer pathway into a four-year program or as a stepping stone toward criminal justice support roles.
Is Criminology the right fit, or should I consider Criminal Justice instead?
Criminology (8,556 annual completions, 224 colleges) and Criminal Justice/Safety Studies (about 33,388 completions) are closely related but emphasize different things. Criminology is the more theoretically oriented program — it focuses on why crime occurs and what research says about it, drawing from sociology and psychology. Criminal Justice is more operationally focused — the functioning of police, courts, and corrections systems, often with clearer pathways into law enforcement and corrections careers. If you want to work directly in law enforcement, corrections, or probation, Criminal Justice tends to be the more direct route. If you're interested in policy research, graduate work in sociology or public policy, or an academic career, Criminology is the more natural fit.
Do I need a graduate degree to have a meaningful career after Criminology?
Not necessarily, but the data warrants honesty here. Three of the five careers most associated with this major require a master's degree or higher: sociologists require a master's, psychologists in most specializations require a master's or doctorate, and postsecondary teaching requires a doctoral or professional degree. The bachelor's is a real credential with options in criminal justice administration, social work (often with an MSW eventually), policy analysis, and related public-sector roles. But if your target occupation is one of the research or teaching tracks in this data, plan for graduate school — the bachelor's functions more as an on-ramp than a destination.
What's a realistic earnings picture after a Criminology degree?
Five-year median earnings across degree levels run about $54,819. Bachelor's completers specifically land near $54,980 at that mark. The ceiling for careers directly linked to this major ranges widely: Sociologists earn a $101,690 median wage and Psychologists in applied settings reach $117,580, but both require graduate credentials to access. Entry-level roles in criminal justice administration, social services, or policy research typically fall well below those figures and depend heavily on sector, geography, and organization size. The earnings trajectory for this major is moderate compared to technical fields — realistic expectations should account for the likelihood of graduate school to reach the higher end.