College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Tennessee

18 Colleges in Tennessee
1,364 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$31,618 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in criminal justice & corrections, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #7 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 18 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Tennessee ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,364 degrees in criminal justice & corrections to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Criminal Justice & Corrections School

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Tennessee Your choice of criminal justice & corrections school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for criminal justice & corrections schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Criminal Justice & Corrections Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Criminal Justice
Bachelor's Degrees in Criminal Justice
Master's Degrees in Criminal Justice

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Tennessee list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections in Tennessee

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the criminal justice degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Tennessee Schools in Criminal Justice

1
Bethel crest
Bethel University
McKenzie, TN
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
147 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$47,853 Median Starting Salary

Bethel University is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Bethel is a small private not-for-profit university located in the distant town of McKenzie. A Best Colleges rank of #1180 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Bethel is a great university overall.

There were approximately 147 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Bethel in the most recent year we have data available. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from Bethel University earn a boost of approximately $16,235 above the typical earnings of criminal justice & corrections majors.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Bethel University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
139 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
10.1% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat Middle Tennessee State University if you wish to pursue a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Middle Tennessee State University is a fairly large public university located in the medium-sized city of Murfreesboro. A Best Colleges rank of #866 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Middle Tennessee State University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 139 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Middle Tennessee State University in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, criminal justice degree recipients generally earn about $33,407 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Middle Tennessee State University

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
113 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$31,715 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat University of Memphis if you wish to pursue a degree in criminal justice & corrections. UofM is a very large public university located in the city of Memphis. A Best Colleges rank of #748 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UofM is a great university overall.

There were roughly 113 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UofM in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make around $31,715 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of Memphis

4
King crest
King University
Bristol, TN
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
16.7% Growth in Graduates
$32,753 Median Starting Salary

King University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in criminal justice & corrections. King is a small private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Bristol. A Best Colleges rank of #1210 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means King is a great university overall.

There were about 24 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at King in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make about $32,753 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from King University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$28,951 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Chattanooga, UT Chattanooga is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #957 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UT Chattanooga is a great university overall.

There were roughly 92 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UT Chattanooga in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program report average early career earnings of $28,951.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
95 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$27,582 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Johnson City, ETSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #851 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ETSU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 95 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at ETSU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program report average early career income of $27,582.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from East Tennessee State University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
12.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the fringe town of Lebanon, CU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 30th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 31 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at CU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, criminal justice degree recipients generally earn around $31,267 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Cumberland University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$30,977 Median Starting Salary

Tennessee State University is a medium-sized public university located in the city of Nashville. A Best Colleges rank of #1425 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Tennessee State University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 53 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Tennessee State University in the most recent data year. After graduating, criminal justice degree recipients typically make around $30,977 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Tennessee State University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$29,423 Median Starting Salary

UT Martin is a medium-sized public university located in the town of Martin. This university ranks 31st out of 45 schools for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were approximately 35 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UT Martin in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients usually make an average of $29,423 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from The University of Tennessee - Martin

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
156 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$40,187 Median Starting Salary

WSCC is a moderately-sized public college located in the small city of Morristown. This college ranks 44th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of Tennessee.

There were roughly 156 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at WSCC in the most recent year we have data available. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from Walters State Community College receive an earnings boost of around $8,569 over the average earnings of criminal justice & corrections majors.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Walters State Community College

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
Georgia2872,157
Florida2824,836
North Carolina2792,701
Virginia2742,889
South Carolina248993
Kentucky244960
Louisiana242972
Mississippi234581
Arkansas234641
Alabama2331,413
West Virginia2071,291

View All Rankings >

Criminal Justice & Corrections is one of 4 different types of Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting programs to choose from.

Criminal Justice Focus Areas

MajorAnnual Graduates
Criminal Justice759
Criminal Justice Studies298
Criminal Justice & Police Science284
Other Corrections & Criminal Justice14
Protective Services Operations6
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General3

View All Criminal Justice Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Fire Protection81
Security Science and Technology41
Homeland Security29

View All Criminal Justice Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options