It’s possible to find criminology and related programs in most parts of the world, but because of a history of expertise or due to geopolitical hotspots, some areas are particularly rich in criminology study abroad options, or offer a unique perspective and a wealth of available experts on the subject.

Amsterdam is the government and financial capital of The Netherlands. Its International Institute of Social History is one of the world's largest, and is in easy commuting distance of The Hague, which is the world’s center for legal arbitration and high profile trials, particularly in the area of war crimes.

England & the UK. More than 100 universities across the United Kingdom offer criminology programs and degrees, but among the highest ranked are Plymouth University, located in Plymouth on the far southwest corner of England, the City University of London, the London School of Business and Finance, Bangor University in Wales, and the University of Kent in Canterbury, in southeastern England.

London is an excellent base for studying criminology, because students can take advantage of well-established programs and high-quality facilities. London’s police force, New Scotland Yard, has an extensive museum and library, and the Mannheim Center for Criminology, which is part of the London School of Economics, and is one of the first institutions to specialize in the study of white collar crime.

South Africa. With its history of apartheid, its relatively peaceful transfer of power from a white minority rule to a black majority rule, and the work of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission that deals with human rights crimes, racial violence, and amnesty, South Africa has a unique criminology perspective and a wide range of experts and criminology courses abroad to choose from. The two best places to study criminology in South Africa are in the nation’s two largest cities, Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Sydney, Australia. Sydney is the center of criminal justice and international law for an entire region. In addition to criminology programs offered at the University of Sydney, the University of Western Sydney, and Macquarie University, The Sydney Institute of Criminology is a research center based in the Sydney Law School that publishes the latest international research on criminology issues, advises government and private industry on crime law and policy, and offers advanced degrees in criminology in conjunction with the law school.