2026 Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Illinois
Criminal Justice & Police Science is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their criminal justice & police science programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 34 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice & police science students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Police Science in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall criminal justice & police science education in Illinois.
Top Schools in Criminal Justice & Police Science
No school ranked higher than Eastern Illinois University this year for criminal justice & police science. This large public university is located in the town of Charleston. Roughly 47% of students complete a degree within six years here. Eastern Illinois University awarded about 33 criminal justice & police science degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Eastern Illinois University generally make around $40,489. Eastern Illinois University graduates carry a median of $24,293 in student loans.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Eastern Illinois University
Harper College is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminal justice & police science, ranking #2. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Palatine. Harper College awarded about 17 criminal justice & police science degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Harper College generally make around $38,474. Typical student debt for the program is $10,963.
See the full criminal justice & police science program report for Harper College
Moraine Valley Community College is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminal justice & police science, ranking #3. Moraine Valley Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Palos Hills. About 36 criminal justice & police science degrees were awarded at Moraine Valley Community College in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminal justice & police science degree from Moraine Valley Community College earn around $43,844 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $11,149 to complete this degree.
See the full criminal justice & police science program report for Moraine Valley Community College
A rank of #4 makes Elgin Community College one of the top schools for criminal justice & police science. Elgin Community College is a large public school located in the city of Elgin. Elgin Community College awarded about 21 criminal justice & police science degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice & police science degree from Elgin Community College earn around $43,975 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $7,727.
Read more about the criminal justice & police science program at Elgin Community College
Oakton Community College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best criminal justice & police science schools. Located in the city of Des Plaines, Oakton Community College is a large public university. There were roughly 19 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Oakton Community College in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Oakton Community College earn a median of $48,838 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $7,750 to complete this degree.
Get the full criminal justice & police science details for Oakton Community College
Lewis And Clark Community College placed #6 among the best criminal justice & police science schools. Lewis And Clark Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Godfrey. About 31 criminal justice & police science degrees were awarded at Lewis And Clark Community College in the most recent year. Graduates of the criminal justice & police science program make about $31,763 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $9,120 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Lewis And Clark Community College
Southwestern Illinois College ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best criminal justice & police science schools. This large public university is located in the suburb of Belleville. About 282 criminal justice & police science degrees were awarded at Southwestern Illinois College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Southwestern Illinois College generally make around $44,345. Typical student debt for the program is $11,000.
Read more about the criminal justice & police science program at Southwestern Illinois College
College Of Dupage ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best criminal justice & police science schools. Located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn, College Of Dupage is a very large public university. About 31 criminal justice & police science degrees were awarded at College Of Dupage in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminal justice & police science degree from College Of Dupage earn around $28,749 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $7,521 to complete this degree.
Read more about the criminal justice & police science program at College Of Dupage
Joliet Junior College came in at #9 for criminal justice & police science this year. Joliet Junior College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Joliet. Joliet Junior College awarded about 19 criminal justice & police science degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Joliet Junior College generally make around $40,118. Joliet Junior College graduates carry a median of $11,995 in student loans.
See the full criminal justice & police science program report for Joliet Junior College
Kankakee Community College placed #10 among the best criminal justice & police science schools. This mid-sized public university is located in the city of Kankakee. About 42 criminal justice & police science degrees were awarded at Kankakee Community College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Kankakee Community College generally make around $60,509. Kankakee Community College graduates carry a median of $13,289 in student loans.
See the full criminal justice & police science program report for Kankakee Community College
Rend Lake College placed #11 among the best criminal justice & police science schools. Rend Lake College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Ina. Rend Lake College awarded about 16 criminal justice & police science degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the criminal justice & police science program make about $42,770 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $8,688.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Rend Lake College
Morton College landed the #12 spot for criminal justice & police science this year. Set in the suburb of Cicero, Morton College is a moderately-sized public institution. About 13 criminal justice & police science degrees were awarded at Morton College in the most recent year. Graduates of the criminal justice & police science program make about $31,143 in their early career. Morton College graduates carry a median of $7,734 in student loans.
See the full criminal justice & police science program report for Morton College
More Criminal Justice & Police Science Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 34 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
