2026 Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Washington
Criminal Justice Studies degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best criminal justice studies schools.
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Best Schools for Criminal Justice Studies in Washington
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 studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Criminal Justice Studies
Leading the list is Seattle University, our #1 school for criminal justice studies. Set in the city of Seattle, Seattle University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 76%. About 37 criminal justice studies degrees were awarded at Seattle University in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminal justice studies degree from Seattle University earn around $49,831 in the first couple years of their career. Seattle University graduates carry a median of $21,247 in student loans.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from Seattle University
Central Washington University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice studies, landing the #2 spot this year. This very large public university is located in the town of Ellensburg. About 54% of students finish within six years. Central Washington University awarded about 131 criminal justice studies degrees in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Central Washington University earn a median of $44,172 early in their careers. Central Washington University graduates carry a median of $21,954 in student loans.
Get the full criminal justice studies details for Central Washington University
Saint Martins University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice studies, landing the #3 spot this year. Saint Martins University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lacey. About 52% of students finish within six years. Saint Martins University awarded about 14 criminal justice studies degrees in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Saint Martins University earn a median of $60,864 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $22,818.
See the full criminal justice studies program report for Saint Martins University
Heritage University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminal justice studies, ranking #4. Heritage University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Toppenish. Heritage University graduates 52% of students within six years. There were roughly 19 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at Heritage University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the criminal justice studies program make about $67,426 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $19,988.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from Heritage University
More Criminal Justice Studies Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 4 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.
