2026 Best Criminal Justice Schools in Maryland
Criminal Justice degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their criminal justice programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Criminal Justice in Maryland
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 degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Criminal Justice
No school ranked higher than Stevenson University this year for criminal justice. Stevenson University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Owings Mills. About 68% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 45 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at Stevenson University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Stevenson University generally make around $38,745. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
More information about a degree in criminal justice from Stevenson University
College Of Southern Maryland is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminal justice, ranking #2. College Of Southern Maryland is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of La Plata. About 22 criminal justice degrees were awarded at College Of Southern Maryland in the most recent year. Graduates of the criminal justice program make about $51,719 in their early career. College Of Southern Maryland graduates carry a median of $9,728 in student loans.
More information about a degree in criminal justice from College Of Southern Maryland
A rank of #3 makes Strayer University Maryland one of the top schools for criminal justice. Set in the suburb of Suitland, Strayer University Maryland is a small private for-profit institution. About 38% of students finish within six years. About 12 criminal justice degrees were awarded at Strayer University Maryland in the most recent year. Graduates of the criminal justice program make about $43,405 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $56,937 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in criminal justice from Strayer University Maryland
More Criminal Justice Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 7 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.
