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2023 Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

22 Ranked Colleges
1,299 Degrees Awarded
$25,800 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor's

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans 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 “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s” ranking.

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

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,928 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,299 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,343 and $26,790 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in criminal justice. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great criminal justice programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the criminal justice program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree vets studying criminal justice.

Top 22 Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grand Valley State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s list. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 147 students in 2020-2021.

GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, GVSU supports 23,350 students, and 479 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 198 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,686. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Read More…

2

Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Union Institute & University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 178 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

Union also took the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 12 of the 809 students enrolled at Union were GI Bill® students, of which 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,992. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Union does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. 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.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Union]](/colleges/union-institute-and-university/student-life/veterans/)

3

Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Illinois University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 258 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree vets studying criminal justice list, WIU has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, WIU supports 7,490 students, and 330 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 62 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,652. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

4
Tiffin University crest
Tiffin University
Tiffin, Ohio

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Tiffin University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s. Tiffin University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tiffin, Ohio. It awarded 42 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tiffin University, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 2,933 students enrolled at Tiffin University, 114 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 71 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,469. To help with additional expenses, 10 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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5
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ferris State University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s. Big Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.

Ferris did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 11,165 students enrolled at Ferris, 377 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 189 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,426. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ferris offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

6
Ashland crest
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio

Ashland University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s ranking. Ashland is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Ashland, Ohio. It awarded 27 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Ashland also took the #9 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Ashland supports 4,447 students, and 105 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 88 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,554. On top of their other funding sources, 4 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ashland offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

7
Lake Superior State University crest
Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Lake Superior State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s ranking. Lake Superior State University is located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Lake Superior State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Of the 1,909 students enrolled at Lake Superior State University, 86 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 47 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,934. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Lake Superior State University Veteran Student Life Report

8
Franklin University crest
Franklin University
Columbus, Ohio

Franklin University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Franklin University also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15.Among the 5,926 students enrolled at Franklin University, 472 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 287 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,926. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full Franklin University Veteran Student Life Report

9
Olivet crest
Olivet College
Olivet, Michigan

Olivet College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s ranking. Olivet College is located in Olivet, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Olivet did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, Olivet College supports 1,023 students, and 26 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 14 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $16,772. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Olivet College offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

10
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 158 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1.According to our most recent data, Michigan State supports 49,695 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,686. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Michigan State University Veteran Student Life Report

11
Carroll U crest
Carroll University
Waukesha, Wisconsin

Carroll University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s ranking. Carroll U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Carroll U also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12.Of the 3,451 students enrolled at Carroll U, 64 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 39 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,906. To help with additional expenses, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Read More…

12
Elmhurst crest
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, Elmhurst University supports 3,421 students, and 77 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 57 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,985. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Elmhurst University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Elmhurst University]](/colleges/elmhurst-college/student-life/veterans/)

13

Concordia University, Wisconsin did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #13. Concordia University, Wisconsin is located in Mequon, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Concordia University, Wisconsin, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 5,492 students enrolled at Concordia University, Wisconsin, 143 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 84 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,821. In addition to receiving other benefits, 9 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Concordia University, Wisconsin Veteran Student Life Report

14

With a ranking of #14, The University of Findlay did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s list. The University of Findlay is located in Findlay, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Findlay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 67 of the 4,829 students enrolled at Findlay were GI Bill® students, of which 45 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,332. During this same period, 6 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at The University of Findlay]](/colleges/the-university-of-findlay/student-life/veterans/)

15
LEC crest
Lake Erie College
Painesville, Ohio

Lake Erie College ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s list. Lake Erie College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Painesville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

LEC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Of the 949 students enrolled at LEC, 21 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 17 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,725. During this same period, 10 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Lake Erie College Veteran Student Life Report

16
Spring Arbor crest
Spring Arbor University
Spring Arbor, Michigan

Spring Arbor University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Spring Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Spring Arbor not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 3,118 students enrolled at Spring Arbor University, 87 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 48 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,673. To help with additional expenses, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Full Spring Arbor Veteran Student Life Report

17
IU East crest
Indiana University - East
Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Richmond, Indiana, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU East, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 3,434 students enrolled at Indiana University - East, 120 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 92 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,346. On top of their other funding sources, 11 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Indiana University - East]](/colleges/indiana-university-east/student-life/veterans/)

18
Carthage crest
Carthage College
Kenosha, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #18, Carthage College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s list. Kenosha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree vets studying criminal justice list, Carthage has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 2,763 students enrolled at Carthage College, 39 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 25 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,318. In addition to receiving other benefits, 12 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full Carthage College Veteran Student Life Report

19

Miami University - Middletown did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. Miami University - Middletown is a small public school situated in Middletown, Ohio. It awarded 7 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Middletown also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20.Our most recent data shows that 69 of the 1,640 students enrolled at Miami University - Middletown were GI Bill® students, of which 11 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,079. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Miami University - Middletown offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

20

Miami University - Hamilton came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s ranking. Miami University - Hamilton is located in Hamilton, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Miami University - Hamilton also took the #19 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 2,451 students enrolled at Miami University - Hamilton, 100 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 15 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,156. During this same period, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Read More…

21

DeVry University - Illinois came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s ranking. DeVry University - Illinois is a private for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

DeVry University - Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 53 of the 20,832 students enrolled at DeVry University - Illinois were GI Bill® students, of which 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,929. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. DeVry University - Illinois does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

22
OCU crest
Ohio Christian University
Circleville, Ohio

With a ranking of #22, Ohio Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Criminal Justice for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Circleville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

OCU also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24.Among the 2,186 students enrolled at Ohio Christian University, 121 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 85 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,824. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ohio Christian University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read More…

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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