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2024 Best Criminal Justice Associate Degree Schools in California

21 Colleges in California
6,856 Associate Degrees
Ranked #10 in popularity, criminal justice is one of the most sought-after associate degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 21 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice students pursuing a associate degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 6,856 associate degrees in criminal justice during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Criminal Justice School for Your Associate Degree

Best Criminal Justice Associate Degree Schools in California The criminal justice associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for criminal justice students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Criminal Justice Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Criminal Justice Associate Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.


 

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Criminal Justice in California

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in criminal justice.

10 Top California Schools for an Associate in Criminal Justice

1
Golden West College crest
Golden West College
Huntington Beach, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
106 Annual Graduates

Golden West College is a great option for individuals pursuing an associate degree in criminal justice. Golden West College is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Huntington Beach.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Golden West College

2
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in criminal justice needs to check out Santa Rosa Junior College. Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Rosa, SRJC is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Santa Rosa Junior College

3
Moreno Valley College crest
Moreno Valley College
Moreno Valley, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Annual Graduates

Moreno Valley College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in criminal justice. Moreno Valley College is a moderately-sized public college located in the large suburb of Moreno Valley.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Moreno Valley College

4
SWC Chula Vista crest
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
184 Annual Graduates

Southwestern College is a wonderful decision for individuals interested in an associate degree in criminal justice. SWC Chula Vista is a fairly large public college located in the city of Chula Vista.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Southwestern College

5
East Los Angeles College crest
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
388 Annual Graduates

East Los Angeles College is a very large public college located in the large suburb of Monterey Park.More information about a associate in criminal justice from East Los Angeles College

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
41 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Napa, Napa Valley College is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Napa Valley College

7
SAC crest
Santa Ana College
Santa Ana, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
80 Annual Graduates

SAC is a fairly large public college located in the city of Santa Ana.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Santa Ana College

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
143 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Fresno, Fresno City College is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Fresno City College

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
118 Annual Graduates

Riverside City College is a large public college located in the large city of Riverside.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Riverside City College

10
Sacramento City crest
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
132 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sacramento City is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Sacramento City College

Best Criminal Justice Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 288 113
Oregon 260 0
Nevada 185 16
Hawaii 79 1

View All Rankings >

One of 21 majors within the Criminal Justice & Corrections area of study, Criminal Justice has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Criminal Justice

Related Major Annual Graduates
Criminal Justice & Police Science 566
Corrections 188
Criminal Justice Studies 31
Security & Loss Prevention Services 6

Notes and References

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