2026 Most Affordable Online Criminology Degrees

Student Review Summary: Reviews of University of South Florida Online are broadly positive, with students most often praising knowledgeable, caring faculty, strong research access, flexible online and evening formats, and career-building opportunities such as internships, networking, clinical placements, and community partnerships. Many say the university helped them feel prepared for licensure, graduate study, or employment. Students also value the diverse, inclusive culture, abundant organizations, and practical resources. Criticism centers on inconsistent advising, uneven professor quality, delayed communication, large classes, and programs that can feel disorganized or overly self-directed. Several reviews also mention tuition strain, limited scholarships, and occasional concerns about administrative follow-through.

Student Review Summary: Reviews describe University of Florida as a high-energy, opportunity-rich experience shaped by strong academics, visible school spirit, and a vast alumni network. Students repeatedly praise approachable professors, rigorous classes, modern labs, research access, career placement, and the ability to find community through clubs, sports, and mentoring, even at a very large institution. Many say the name recognition helped with jobs. The main frustrations are inconsistent advising, weak financial aid, large introductory or online classes, administrative and communication problems, parking and safety concerns, and some programs feeling overly theoretical, politically charged, or less career-prepared than expected.

Student Review Summary: Reviews portray UNCW as a broadly rewarding experience defined by a beautiful campus, beach-town setting, and a size that feels social without being overwhelming. Many reviewers praise approachable professors, supportive staff, and strong hands-on learning through internships, research, fieldwork, assistantships, and career-focused projects. Students also value practical skill building, flexible online options, and a welcoming sense of community with clubs and campus involvement. Criticisms are more serious than frequent: several reviewers describe uneven teaching quality, high costs, outdated instruction in some areas, limited sports atmosphere, older housing, heavy workloads, and persistent concerns about diversity, elitism, racism, homophobia, and disrespectful treatment in certain departments.

Student Review Summary: Reviews portray University of West Georgia as a school with strong pockets of academic quality, especially when professors are engaged, accessible, and invested in mentoring. Many reviewers praise supportive faculty, practical assignments, flexible online or evening formats, affordability, small classes, and a welcoming small-campus atmosphere with clubs and study-abroad options. Distinctive positives include hands-on learning, career preparation, and faculty advocacy that helped some reviewers secure jobs or advance to doctoral study. Criticism centers on inconsistency across departments: several reviewers describe poor advising, weak communication, limited feedback, scarce funding, and unclear administration. Some also cite parking, safety, commuting challenges, dining, housing conditions, and underdeveloped career services.

Student Review Summary: Reviews of The University of Texas Permian Basin are largely favorable, driven by strong ratings, frequent recommendations, and repeated praise for small class sizes, accessible professors, and flexible online formats that fit around full-time work and family obligations. Many reviewers say supportive faculty, responsive admissions staff, and affordable tuition created strong value, with some crediting the school for career advancement, confidence, and professional preparation. Criticism centers on inconsistency: several reviewers report toxic or unprofessional instructors, demanding workloads that exceed expectations, slow grading, weak communication, transfer-credit disputes, poor advising, and frustrating financial aid or administrative follow-through.

Student Review Summary: Reviews of Arkansas State University are largely positive, driven by strong ratings and broad willingness to recommend. Many students praise flexible online formats, especially accelerated seven-week terms, saying they make it possible to balance coursework with full-time jobs, parenting, and irregular schedules. Affordability is another recurring strength, with several reviewers noting competitive tuition and solid value. Students also highlight supportive professors, responsive advisors, easy admissions, relevant real-world assignments, and practical career impact. Criticism centers on inconsistent organization in some online courses, heavy workloads, delayed grading or feedback, limited professor access, technology issues, weak communication, and, in a few severe cases, administrative disorganization.

Student Review Summary: Reviews of Missouri State University are broadly positive, with most praising approachable professors, supportive advisors, affordable tuition, and a campus that feels active without being overwhelming. Many say extracurricular involvement, small class settings, community engagement, hands-on learning, and flexible online or evening options helped them grow personally and professionally. Several reviewers also credit the school with strong career preparation, research access, or practical projects. The sharpest criticisms focus on inconsistent quality across departments, poor advising or unresponsive faculty in some areas, disorganization, weak job placement, high living or loan costs, parking issues, limited diversity, and concerns that administrative decisions prioritize revenue over student support.

Student Review Summary: Reviews portray Southern Illinois University - Carbondale as a generally positive, student-centered campus where approachable professors, small class sizes, and hands-on learning opportunities stand out. Many reviewers praise caring faculty, practical preparation, beautiful grounds, diversity, and a smaller-community feel despite the university’s size. Clubs, research, cohort learning, and strong professor accessibility helped many feel supported and career-ready. Criticism centers on inconsistent quality across departments, disorganized advising, limited post-graduation career support, financial aid frustrations, rising costs, parking and commuter limitations, safety concerns near campus, and occasional faculty disengagement. Several reviewers note success depends heavily on personal initiative and taking advantage of available opportunities.

Student Review Summary: Reviews portray Indiana State University as a generally supportive, flexible place where approachable professors, small classes, and one-on-one attention help you feel known rather than lost. Many praised online and hybrid options for accessibility, convenience, and strong discussion-based learning, while others valued practical training, career-relevant coursework, and plentiful campus involvement. The most consistent drawbacks center on cost, uneven advising, and administrative communication, especially around financial aid, unanswered emails, and limited guidance for getting started. Several reviewers also flagged weak career payoff in certain areas, scarce off-campus entertainment, impersonal online experiences, and burdensome or poorly supported clinical placement requirements.

Student Review Summary: Reviews of Southern New Hampshire University Online are sharply divided, though the overall tone trends positive because most ratings are high. Supporters consistently praise the flexible format, clear course layout, attentive advisors, responsive instructors, transfer-credit acceptance, and comparatively reasonable tuition. Many say the school works especially well for busy adults who are self-motivated, comfortable teaching themselves, and able to manage frequent writing-heavy assignments. Critics focus on financial aid confusion, billing disputes, withdrawal penalties, transcript holds, inconsistent advising, and a sense of being treated transactionally. Some also question academic rigor, citing prebuilt courses, limited lectures, uneven professor quality, repetitive discussion boards, and variable career payoff.

Student Review Summary: Reviews of Northwest Missouri State University are largely favorable, driven by consistently strong ratings and repeated praise for approachable, invested faculty. Reviewers say professors know them personally, challenge them academically, and provide meaningful help through office hours and ongoing support. Several also value flexible scheduling, manageable coursework for working adults, specialized instruction, and affordability through assistantships and low living costs. Career outcomes and the school’s reputation with employers also stand out. Reported drawbacks are more limited but notable: sparse financial aid for some, the isolation of a small town, and one sharply negative online experience citing weak remote support and unfair group-work resolution.

Student Review Summary: Reviews portray University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth as an affordable, practical school where many students value small classes, approachable professors, and strong access to hands-on learning, internships, research, clubs, and leadership opportunities. Students often say they built close relationships, found diverse peers, and benefited from flexible online options and career-focused experiences. Several note the campus’s concrete, brutalist design can feel dark or uninviting at first, though some say it grows on you. The sharpest complaints center on weak advising, poor communication across offices, inconsistent housing and food quality, limited transportation, and a few reports of inflexible policies or inadequate support.

Student Review Summary: Reviews of Washington State University are broadly positive, driven by strong community, memorable campus culture, and supportive professors. Many describe Pullman as a true college town with a close-knit, small-town feel, easy campus access, abundant clubs, research, and networking opportunities. Students often valued approachable faculty, hands-on learning, and flexibility across branch and online options. Recurring drawbacks include inconsistent teaching quality, weak academic advising, limited career support in some areas, and administrative frustrations involving financial aid or scheduling. Several online reviews are sharply negative, citing poor course design, unclear instructions, excessive busywork, and little flexibility. Cost, isolation, and party culture also surfaced.

Student Review Summary: Reviews of National Louis University are broadly positive but uneven, with many describing flexible scheduling, evening or online formats, and cohort models that fit full-time work and family responsibilities. Students frequently praise knowledgeable, accessible instructors, supportive advisors, strong peer networking, and practical preparation that led to jobs or career advancement. Several also value the downtown location, diversity, and technology access. The main criticisms are persistent: high tuition, inconsistent financial aid and advising, poor communication about requirements or format changes, limited class availability, and administrative disorganization. A smaller but vocal group reports feeling misled, unsupported during placements, or blocked from graduation despite strong coursework.