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Criminology

Types of Degrees Criminology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Criminology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	241
Bachelor’s Degree	9,003
Master’s Degree	1,065
Doctor’s Degree	56

What Criminology Majors Need to Know

Programs in Criminology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Criminology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Criminology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Criminology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Criminology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Criminology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.2 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.2 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Criminology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Criminology graduates include:

• Compliance Director
• Station Manager
• Racing Manager
• Recreation Establishment Manager
• Commercial Attache
• Entertainment Manager
• Register in Chancery
• Telegraph Office Manager
• Generating Plant Superintendent
• Clerk of Court
• Group Manager
• Register of Wills
• Irrigation District Manager
• Handicraft or Hobby Shop Manager
• Dental Office Manager

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Criminology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	40.8%
Post-doctoral training	19.8%
Master’s degree	8.4%
Doctoral degree	7.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	6.8%
Postsecondary certificate	3.8%
Some college courses	2.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.0%
Post-master’s certificate	0.5%
Less than a high school diploma	0.3%
First professional degree	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Criminology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 67.8% of Criminology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	7,024	67.8%
Men	3,341	32.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Criminology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,391	52.0%
Asian	382	3.7%
Hispanic or Latino	2,596	25.0%
Black or African American	1,078	10.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	48	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	22	0.2%
Two or More Races	457	4.4%
Race Unknown	221	2.1%
International Students	170	1.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Criminology Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Criminology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$38,511
4 years	$47,469
5 years	$54,549

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $54,549 — roughly 42% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Criminology Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Criminology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	9	1
Bachelor’s	31	27
Master’s	22	7

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Criminology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Criminology graduates earn a median of $47,469 four years after completion — roughly 25% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Social Sciences	45
Anthropology	45.02
Archeology	45.03
Demography	45.05
Economics	45.06
Geography and Anthropology	45.15
Geography and Cartography	45.07
International Relations and National Security Studies	45.09
Political Science and Government	45.10
Rural Sociology	45.14
Social Sciences, General	45.01
Social Sciences, Other	45.99

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.