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2024 Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools

186 Colleges in the United States
22,722 Police Science Degrees Awarded
Criminal Justice & Police Science is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #74 most popular major 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 186 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 22,722 degrees in criminal justice & police science during the 2020-2021 academic year.

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

Choosing a Great Criminal Justice & Police Science School

Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools Your choice of criminal justice & police science school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Criminal Justice & Police Science School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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 & Police Science Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Police Science
Bachelor's Degrees in Police Science
Master's Degrees in Police Science

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 & Police Science Schools 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 & Police Science in the United States

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 police science degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Police Science

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In DC

George Washington University is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & police science. GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were about 4 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from George Washington University

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In VA
363 Police Science Degrees Awarded

George Mason University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in criminal justice & police science. GMU is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 363 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from George Mason University

3
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In FL
38 Police Science Degrees Awarded

It is difficult to beat Florida State University if you wish to pursue a degree in criminal justice & police science. Located in the midsize city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #121 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Florida State is a great university overall.

There were about 38 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Florida State University

4
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4
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In AL
419 Police Science Degrees Awarded

Every student who is interested in criminal justice & police science needs to look into Columbia Southern University. Located in the fringe town of Orange Beach, Columbia Southern University is a private for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #114 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Columbia Southern University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 419 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Columbia Southern University in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Columbia Southern University

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NY
246 Police Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of New York, John Jay is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #212 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means John Jay is a great college overall.

There were roughly 246 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at John Jay in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice

6
Purdue University Global crest
Purdue University Global
West Lafayette, IN

Located in the small city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Global is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 11th out of 42 schools for overall quality in the state of Indiana.More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Purdue University Global

7
Golden West College crest
Golden West College
Huntington Beach, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In CA

Located in the large suburb of Huntington Beach, Golden West College is a public college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #189 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Golden West College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 11 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Golden West College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Golden West College

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NV
40 Police Science Degrees Awarded

CSN is a fairly large public college located in the city of Las Vegas. This college ranks 3rd out of 9 colleges for overall quality in the state of Nevada.

There were approximately 40 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at CSN in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from College of Southern Nevada

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MN
68 Police Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #351 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Minnesota State Mankato is a great university overall.

There were approximately 68 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Minnesota State Mankato in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Minnesota State University - Mankato

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
13th Most Popular In MI

Siena Heights University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Adrian. This university ranks 21st out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 8 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Siena Heights University in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Siena Heights University

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In WI
109 Police Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Kenosha, Gateway Technical College is a public college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 9th out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were approximately 109 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Gateway Technical College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Gateway Technical College

11
Century College crest
Century College
White Bear Lake, MN
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MN
69 Police Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of White Bear Lake, Century College is a public college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 19th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were about 69 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Century College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Century College

12
Rowan crest
Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NJ
290 Police Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the large suburb of Glassboro, Rowan is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #329 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Rowan is a great university overall.

There were roughly 290 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Rowan in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Rowan University

13
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In OH
572 Police Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Steubenville, Eastern Gateway Community College is a public college with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #342 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Eastern Gateway Community College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 572 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Eastern Gateway Community College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Eastern Gateway Community College

14
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In TX
44 Police Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of San Marcos, Texas State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #397 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Texas State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 44 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Texas State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Texas State University

15
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MN
128 Police Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the town of Alexandria, ATCC is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 43rd out of 52 colleges for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were roughly 128 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at ATCC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Alexandria Technical & Community College

16
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In MI
67 Police Science Degrees Awarded

Grand Rapids Community College is a large public college located in the medium-sized city of Grand Rapids. This college ranks 27th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 67 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Grand Rapids Community College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Grand Rapids Community College

17
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MN
66 Police Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Saint Paul, Metro State is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 22nd out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were about 66 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Metro State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Metropolitan State University

18
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In FL
71.4% Growth in Graduates

Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Fort Lauderdale. A Best Colleges rank of #176 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a great university overall.

There were approximately 7 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale

19
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In TX
48 Police Science Degrees Awarded

South Texas College is a very large public college located in the city of McAllen. This college ranks 29th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 48 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at South Texas College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from South Texas College

20
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MI
320 Police Science Degrees Awarded

Ferris is a fairly large public university located in the town of Big Rapids. This university ranks 16th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 320 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Ferris in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Ferris State University

21
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In MI

Located in the midsize city of Warren, Macomb Community College is a public college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #377 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Macomb Community College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 17 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Macomb Community College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Macomb Community College

22
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In WI
77 Police Science Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Madison, Madison College is a public college with a large student population. This college ranks 8th out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were about 77 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Madison College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Madison Area Technical College

23
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In DE
79 Police Science Degrees Awarded

Delaware Tech is a large public college located in the city of Dover. This college ranks 2nd out of 4 colleges for overall quality in the state of Delaware.

There were approximately 79 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Delaware Tech in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Delaware Technical Community College - Terry

Rest of the Top Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools

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Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools award.

Rank College Location
28 Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA
29 Suffolk University Boston, MA
30 Fox Valley Technical College Appleton, WI
31 McLennan Community College Waco, TX
32 College of Southern Idaho Twin Falls, ID
33 Middlesex County College Edison, NJ
33 Western Technical College La Crosse, WI
34 University of Baltimore Baltimore, MD
35 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
36 Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Fennimore, WI
37 Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Winona, MN

Criminal Justice & Police Science by Region

View the Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 21 majors within the Criminal Justice & Corrections area of study, Criminal Justice & Police Science has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Criminal Justice Studies 46,814
Criminal Justice 32,891
Corrections 4,039
Other Corrections & Criminal Justice 3,675
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General 1,133
Securities Services Administration/Management 849
Security & Loss Prevention Services 475
Law Enforcement Investigation & Interviewing 227
Corrections Administration 165
Juvenile Corrections 111

View All Police Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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