2026 Best Criminal Justice Schools in Rhode Island
Criminal Justice programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools to find the best for criminal justice students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Criminal Justice in Rhode Island
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall criminal justice education in Rhode Island.
Top Schools in Criminal Justice
No school ranked higher than Roger Williams University this year for criminal justice. Located in the suburb of Bristol, Roger Williams University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 69%. There were roughly 122 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at Roger Williams University in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice graduates of Roger Williams University earn a median of $49,996 early in their careers. Roger Williams University graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans.
See the full criminal justice program report for Roger Williams University
Salve Regina University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Newport, Salve Regina University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 77%. About 82 criminal justice degrees were awarded at Salve Regina University in the most recent year. Graduates of the criminal justice program make about $62,637 in their early career. Salve Regina University graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
See the full criminal justice program report for Salve Regina University
Students looking for a strong criminal justice program will find one at Johnson And Wales University Providence, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Providence, Johnson And Wales University Providence is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Roughly 50% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 37 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at Johnson And Wales University Providence in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice graduates of Johnson And Wales University Providence earn a median of $44,913 early in their careers. Johnson And Wales University Providence graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
More information about a degree in criminal justice from Johnson And Wales University Providence
More Criminal Justice Rankings
View All Criminal Justice Rankings >
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 · 5 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.
