2026 Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Iowa
Criminal Justice & Police Science degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice & police science students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Police Science in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall criminal justice & police science education in Iowa.
Top Schools in Criminal Justice & Police Science
Our analysis ranked Western Iowa Tech Community College the best school in the country for a degree in criminal justice & police science. Set in the city of Sioux City, Western Iowa Tech Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. There were roughly 15 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Western Iowa Tech Community College in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Western Iowa Tech Community College earn a median of $43,547 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $11,500 to complete this degree.
Read more about the criminal justice & police science program at Western Iowa Tech Community College
Hawkeye Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best criminal justice & police science schools. Set in the rural area of Waterloo, Hawkeye Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. There were roughly 23 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Hawkeye Community College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Hawkeye Community College generally make around $49,572. Hawkeye Community College graduates carry a median of $11,000 in student loans.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from Hawkeye Community College
Des Moines Area Community College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best criminal justice & police science schools. Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Ankeny. About 61 criminal justice & police science degrees were awarded at Des Moines Area Community College in the most recent year. Graduates of the criminal justice & police science program make about $42,555 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $12,000.
See the full criminal justice & police science program report for Des Moines Area Community College
Students looking for a strong criminal justice & police science program will find one at Iowa Central Community College, which ranked #4. This moderately-sized public university is located in the town of Fort Dodge. About 22 criminal justice & police science degrees were awarded at Iowa Central Community College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Iowa Central Community College generally make around $39,121. Iowa Central Community College graduates carry a median of $14,473 in student loans.
Get the full criminal justice & police science details for Iowa Central Community College
More Criminal Justice & Police Science Rankings
View All Criminal Justice & Police Science Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 12 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.
