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2023 Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region

20 Ranked Colleges
3,470 Degrees Awarded
$20,900 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 22,722 people earned their degree in criminal justice and police science, making the major the 74th most popular in the United States.

Across the Southwest region, there were 3,470 criminal justice and police science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science” ranking analyzed 20 colleges that offered a degree in criminal justice and police science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent criminal justice and police science programs, but they also offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the criminal justice and police science program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Police Science Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region vets studying police science.

Top 20 Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region

1
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Texas State is a public institution located in San Marcos, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Texas State also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 37,812 students enrolled at Texas State University, 2,559 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,197 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,635. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas State]](/colleges/texas-state-university-san-marcos/student-life/veterans/)

2
Grand Canyon University crest
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Canyon University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science. Grand Canyon University is located in Phoenix, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 293 ’s police science degrees to qualified students.

Grand Canyon University also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Grand Canyon University supports 103,427 students, and 7,172 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4,951 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,970. On top of their other funding sources, 5 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Grand Canyon University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stephen F Austin State University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science. Stephen F Austin State University is a public institution located in Nacogdoches, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SFASU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 12,620 students enrolled at SFASU, 427 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 177 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,500. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at SFASU]](/colleges/stephen-f-austin-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

4

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M International University landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Laredo, Texas, and it awarded 189 ’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M International University, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 8,525 students enrolled at Texas A&M International University, 183 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 95 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,308. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Texas A&M International University Veteran Student Life Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Austin Community College District. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science. Austin Community College District is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 114 ’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Austin Community College District, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 2,473 of the 39,896 students enrolled at Austin Community College District were GI Bill® students, of which 59 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $735. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Austin Community College District]](/colleges/austin-community-college-district/student-life/veterans/)

6
San Antonio College crest
San Antonio College
San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science ranking. San Antonio College is a fairly large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 73 ’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying police science list, San Antonio College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 19,231 students enrolled at San Antonio College, 2,054 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,362 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,249. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. San Antonio College offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full San Antonio College Veteran Student Life Report

7
South Texas College crest
South Texas College
McAllen, Texas

South Texas College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science ranking. South Texas College is a public institution located in McAllen, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

South Texas College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, South Texas College supports 28,233 students, and 532 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 193 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,731. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at South Texas College]](/colleges/south-texas-college/student-life/veterans/)

8
South University, Austin crest
South University, Austin
Round Rock, Texas

South University, Austin ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science list. South University, Austin is a small school located in Round Rock, Texas that handed out 5 ’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at South University, Austin, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 98 of the 429 students enrolled at South University, Austin were GI Bill® students, of which 75 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,135. To help with additional expenses, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. South University, Austin offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at South University, Austin]](/colleges/south-university-austin/student-life/veterans/)

9
Rio Salado College crest
Rio Salado College
Tempe, Arizona

Rio Salado College ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science list. Rio Salado College is a fairly large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 641 ’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rio Salado College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 17,362 students enrolled at Rio Salado College, 335 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 206 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $630. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Rio Salado College Veteran Student Life Report

10
South Plains College crest
South Plains College
Levelland, Texas

South Plains College ranked #10 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science list. This medium-sized school is located in Levelland, Texas, and it awarded 44 ’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.

South Plains College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 8,880 students enrolled at South Plains College, 284 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 106 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,097. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. South Plains College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full South Plains College Veteran Student Life Report

11

Houston Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science ranking. Houston Community College is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 80 ’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.

Houston Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1,421 of the 48,329 students enrolled at Houston Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 783 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,632. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

12
Amarillo College crest
Amarillo College
Amarillo, Texas

Amarillo College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Amarillo, Texas, and it awarded 35 ’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Amarillo College, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 260 of the 9,079 students enrolled at Amarillo College were GI Bill® students, of which 141 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,795. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Amarillo College Veteran Student Life Report

13
RSU crest
Rogers State University
Claremore, Oklahoma

Rogers State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science ranking. RSU is a small public school situated in Claremore, Oklahoma. It awarded 4 ’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.

RSU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 3,400 students enrolled at RSU, 205 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 73 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,667. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. RSU offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Rogers State University Veteran Student Life Report

14

Cochise County Community College District came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science ranking. Cochise College is a small school located in Sierra Vista, Arizona that handed out 56 ’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.

Cochise College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 351 of the 3,327 students enrolled at Cochise College were GI Bill® students, of which 214 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,216. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cochise College Veteran Student Life Report

15

Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science ranking, coming in at #15. OSU-OKC is a small public school situated in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It awarded 46 ’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying police science list, OSU-OKC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, OSU-OKC supports 4,949 students, and 54 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 77 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,563. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

16

Northwestern Oklahoma State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science ranking, coming in at #16. Northwestern Oklahoma State University is a small school located in Alva, Oklahoma that handed out 14 ’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NWOSU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 65 of the 1,833 students enrolled at Northwestern Oklahoma State University were GI Bill® students, of which 17 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,291. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full NWOSU Veteran Student Life Report

17

Southwest Texas Junior College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Uvalde, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 113 diplomas to qualified ’s police science students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying police science list, Southwest Texas Junior College has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 100 of the 6,480 students enrolled at Southwest Texas Junior College were GI Bill® students, of which 50 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,046. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

18

McLennan Community College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Waco, Texas, and it awarded 29 ’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MCC, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 7,742 students enrolled at MCC, 396 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 190 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,484. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

[Read full report on veteran student life at MCC]](/colleges/mclennan-community-college/student-life/veterans/)

19
Wiley College crest
Wiley College
Marshall, Texas

Wiley College ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science list. Wiley College is a small school located in Marshall, Texas that handed out 13 ’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.

Wiley College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 615 students enrolled at Wiley College, 23 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,709. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Wiley College]](/colleges/wiley-college/student-life/veterans/)

20

Trinity Valley Community College ranked #20 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science list. Trinity Valley Community College is located in Athens, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s police science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying police science list, TVCC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Trinity Valley Community College supports 5,600 students, and 116 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 54 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,871. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Read More…

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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