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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Criminal Justice

703 Ranked Colleges
32,891 Degrees Awarded
$22,400 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major” ranking.

Criminal Justice is the 27th most popular major in the country with 32,891 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major” ranking analyzed 703 colleges that offered a degree in criminal justice. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in criminal justice.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The criminal justice school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for criminal justice students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Criminal Justice

1

Out of the 703 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Union Institute & University landed the #1 spot on the list. Union Institute & University is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 178 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Union Criminal Justice Report

2
MacCormac crest
MacCormac College
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend MacCormac College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. MacCormac College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full MacCormac College Criminal Justice Report

3
Hilbert College crest
Hilbert College
Hamburg, New York

Out of the 703 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Hilbert College landed the #3 spot on the list. Hamburg, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Hilbert College Criminal Justice Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. John Jay College of Criminal Justice is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,483 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice at John Jay

5
Shorter College crest
Shorter College
N Little Rock, Arkansas

Out of the 703 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Shorter College landed the #5 spot on the list. Shorter College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in N Little Rock, Arkansas. It awarded 10 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Shorter College Criminal Justice Report

6
Brevard College crest
Brevard College
Brevard, North Carolina

Brevard College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. Located in Brevard, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Brevard College

7

Central Christian College of Kansas ranked #7 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. Central Christian College is a small school located in McPherson, Kansas that handed out 41 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Central Christian College of Kansas

8
Webber International University crest
Webber International University
Babson Park, Florida

Webber International University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking, coming in at #8. Webber International University is a small school located in Babson Park, Florida that handed out 37 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Webber International University Criminal Justice Report

9
Daymar College - Bowling Green crest
Daymar College - Bowling Green
Bowling Green, Kentucky

Daymar College - Bowling Green did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking, coming in at #9. Daymar College - Bowling Green is a private for-profit institution located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Daymar College - Bowling Green

10
TC crest
Texas College
Tyler, Texas

Texas College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. Located in Tyler, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

Full TC Criminal Justice Report

11
Miles College crest
Miles College
Fairfield, Alabama

Miles College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking, coming in at #11. Fairfield, Alabama is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Miles College

12

College of the Muscogee Nation did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, this small public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at College of the Muscogee Nation

13
North Carolina Wesleyan College crest
North Carolina Wesleyan College
Rocky Mount, North Carolina

North Carolina Wesleyan College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking, coming in at #13. North Carolina Wesleyan College is a small school located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina that handed out 86 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Full North Carolina Wesleyan College Criminal Justice Report

14
Anna Maria crest
Anna Maria College
Paxton, Massachusetts

Anna Maria College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. Anna Maria is a private not-for-profit institution located in Paxton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Anna Maria College Criminal Justice Report

15
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Talladega College
Talladega, Alabama

Talladega College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. Located in Talladega, Alabama, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Talladega College

16
Iowa Wesleyan crest
Iowa Wesleyan University
Mount Pleasant, Iowa

With a ranking of #16, Iowa Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. Located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

Full Iowa Wesleyan University Criminal Justice Report

17
Le Moyne - Owen College crest
Le Moyne - Owen College
Memphis, Tennessee

Le Moyne - Owen College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. Le Moyne - Owen College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Memphis, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Le Moyne - Owen College Criminal Justice Report

18
Lake Superior State University crest
Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Lake Superior State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. Located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, this small public school handed out 74 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

Full Lake Superior State University Criminal Justice Report

19
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Saint Augustine's University
Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #19, Saint Augustine’s University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. This small school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 15 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Saint Augustine’s University Criminal Justice Report

20

University of Puerto Rico - Carolina came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. Carolina, is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 90 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at University of Puerto Rico - Carolina

21

Western Illinois University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 305 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Western Illinois University

22
BCC crest
Bronx Community College
Bronx, New York

Bronx Community College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. BCC is a medium-sized school located in Bronx, New York that handed out 214 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Bronx Community College

23
Salve Regina crest
Salve Regina University
Newport, Rhode Island

Salve Regina University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. Salve Regina University is located in Newport, Rhode Island and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 130 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Salve Regina

24
Philander Smith crest
Philander Smith College
Little Rock, Arkansas

Philander Smith College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking, coming in at #24. This small school is located in Little Rock, Arkansas, and it awarded 18 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Philander Smith

25
Morris College crest
Morris College
Sumter, South Carolina

Morris College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. Sumter, South Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

Full Morris College Criminal Justice Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
SUNY Sullivan crest
Sullivan County Community College
Loch Sheldrake, New York
27
Norwich crest
Norwich University
Northfield, Vermont
28
29
Monroe College crest
Monroe College
Bronx, New York
30
Hostos crest
Hostos Community College
Bronx, New York
31
TU crest
Thomas University
Thomasville, Georgia
32
Berkeley College - New York crest
Berkeley College - New York
New York, New York
33
Florida Memorial University crest
Florida Memorial University
Miami Gardens, Florida
34
Thomas College crest
Thomas College
Waterville, Maine
35
Mars Hill crest
Mars Hill University
Mars Hill, North Carolina
36
University of New Haven crest
University of New Haven
West Haven, Connecticut
37
38
39
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Woodland Community College
Woodland, California
40
Strayer University - Pennsylvania crest
Strayer University - Pennsylvania
Trevose, Pennsylvania
41
42
Berkeley College - Woodland Park crest
Berkeley College - Woodland Park
Woodland Park, New Jersey
43
Strayer University - West Virginia crest
Strayer University - West Virginia
Scott Depot, West Virginia
44
Lees - McRae College crest
Lees - McRae College
Banner Elk, North Carolina
45
UNE crest
Universidad del Este
Carolina, <nil>
46
Sterling College crest
Sterling College
Sterling, Kansas
47
STAC crest
St. Thomas Aquinas College
Sparkill, New York
48
49
Culver - Stockton crest
Culver - Stockton College
Canton, Missouri
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Lock Haven University Lock Haven, PA
52 Remington College - Shreveport Campus Shreveport, LA
53 Kingsborough Community College Brooklyn, NY
54 Quincy College Quincy, MA
55 SUNY Ulster Stone Ridge, NY
56 Grantham University Lenexa, KS
57 Manor College Jenkintown, PA
58 South Hills School of Business & Technology State College, PA
59 Roger Williams University Bristol, RI
60 Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies Springfield, MO
61 Benedict College Columbia, SC
62 Strayer University - District of Columbia Washington, DC
62 Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses Fort Wayne, IN
64 Tiffin University Tiffin, OH
65 West Virginia University Institute of Technology Beckley, WV
Rank College Location
66 Waynesburg University Waynesburg, PA
67 University of South Carolina - Lancaster Lancaster, SC
68 Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Mansfield, PA
69 Faulkner University Montgomery, AL
70 Rockland Community College Suffern, NY
71 Colegio Universitario de San Juan San Juan, PR
72 Husson University Bangor, ME
73 Wayland Baptist University Plainview, TX
74 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
75 Spartanburg Methodist College Spartanburg, SC
76 LaGuardia Community College Long Island City, NY
77 Abraham Lincoln University Los Angeles, CA
78 University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg Greensburg, PA
79 Taft College Taft, CA
80 Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester Campus Sewell, NJ
81 Averett University Danville, VA
82 Peirce College Philadelphia, PA
83 Miami University - Hamilton Hamilton, OH
84 Alderson Broaddus University Philippi, WV
85 San Diego Miramar College San Diego, CA
86 Barstow Community College Barstow, CA
87 Strayer University - Texas Austin, TX
88 Huston - Tillotson University Austin, TX
89 Bethel University McKenzie, TN
90 Imperial Valley College Imperial, CA
Rank College Location
91 Voorhees College Denmark, SC
92 Park University Parkville, MO
93 Mount Mercy University Cedar Rapids, IA
94 University of Pittsburgh - Bradford Bradford, PA
95 Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Fayette, MO
96 Nassau Community College Garden City, NY
97 Hannibal - LaGrange University Hannibal, MO
98 University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO
99 Strayer University - New Jersey Cherry Hill, NJ
100 Columbia College Columbia, MO
101 Iona College New Rochelle, NY
102 University of Antelope Valley Lancaster, CA
103 Jefferson Community College Watertown, NY
104 University of Massachusetts - Lowell Lowell, MA
105 Strayer University - Florida Tampa, FL
106 Allen University Columbia, SC
106 Northern Marianas College Saipan, MP
106 Lake Tahoe Community College South Lake Tahoe, CA

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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