2026 Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Tennessee
Criminal Justice & Police Science degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their criminal justice & police science programs.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools to find the best for criminal justice & police science students.
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Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Police Science in Tennessee
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the criminal justice & police science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Criminal Justice & Police Science
Our analysis ranked Volunteer State Community College the best school in the country for a degree in criminal justice & police science. Located in the suburb of Gallatin, Volunteer State Community College is a moderately-sized public university. There were roughly 39 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Volunteer State Community College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Volunteer State Community College generally make around $40,137. Volunteer State Community College graduates carry a median of $12,462 in student loans.
Read more about the criminal justice & police science program at Volunteer State Community College
Cleveland State Community College is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminal justice & police science, ranking #2. Located in the city of Cleveland, Cleveland State Community College is a mid-sized public university. About 79 criminal justice & police science degrees were awarded at Cleveland State Community College in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminal justice & police science degree from Cleveland State Community College earn around $41,488 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $6,318 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Cleveland State Community College
Students looking for a strong criminal justice & police science program will find one at Walters State Community College, which ranked #3. Walters State Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Morristown. About 223 criminal justice & police science degrees were awarded at Walters State Community College in the most recent year. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Walters State Community College earn a median of $44,624 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $16,702 to complete this degree.
Get the full criminal justice & police science details for Walters State Community College
A rank of #4 makes Dyersburg State Community College one of the top schools for criminal justice & police science. This mid-sized public university is located in the town of Dyersburg. Dyersburg State Community College awarded about 11 criminal justice & police science degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice & police science degree from Dyersburg State Community College earn around $41,177 in the first couple years of their career. Dyersburg State Community College graduates carry a median of $10,611 in student loans.
Get the full criminal justice & police science details for Dyersburg State Community College
A rank of #5 makes South College one of the top schools for criminal justice & police science. Located in the city of Knoxville, South College is a large private for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 53%. There were roughly 17 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at South College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice & police science degree from South College earn around $24,095 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,533.
Get the full criminal justice & police science details for South 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 · 7 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.
