2026 Best Criminal Justice Schools in Arkansas
Criminal Justice is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
College Factual analyzed 25 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best criminal justice schools.
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Best Schools for Criminal Justice in Arkansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall criminal justice education in Arkansas.
Top Schools in Criminal Justice
Our analysis ranked Southern Arkansas University Tech the best school in the country for a degree in criminal justice. Southern Arkansas University Tech is a small public school located in the rural area of Camden. Southern Arkansas University Tech awarded about 19 criminal justice degrees in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice graduates of Southern Arkansas University Tech earn a median of $34,302 early in their careers. Southern Arkansas University Tech graduates carry a median of $8,488 in student loans.
Get the full criminal justice details for Southern Arkansas University Tech
Arkansas State University Newport came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best criminal justice schools. This mid-sized public university is located in the rural area of Newport. Arkansas State University Newport awarded about 34 criminal justice degrees in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice graduates of Arkansas State University Newport earn a median of $44,500 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $10,925 to complete this degree.
See the full criminal justice program report for Arkansas State University Newport
Arkansas Tech University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminal justice, ranking #3. Arkansas Tech University is a large public school located in the town of Russellville. About 44% of students finish within six years. About 29 criminal justice degrees were awarded at Arkansas Tech University in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminal justice degree from Arkansas Tech University earn around $35,642 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,785.
See the full criminal justice program report for Arkansas Tech University
University Of Arkansas Fort Smith is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminal justice, ranking #4. Located in the city of Fort Smith, University Of Arkansas Fort Smith is a moderately-sized public university. About 38% of students finish within six years. About 30 criminal justice degrees were awarded at University Of Arkansas Fort Smith in the most recent year. Graduates of the criminal justice program make about $33,460 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $18,750 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in criminal justice from University Of Arkansas Fort Smith
Phillips Community College Of The University Of Arkansas is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminal justice, ranking #5. Phillips Community College Of The University Of Arkansas is a small public school located in the town of Helena. There were roughly 17 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at Phillips Community College Of The University Of Arkansas in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice graduates of Phillips Community College Of The University Of Arkansas earn a median of $45,190 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $5,500.
More information about a degree in criminal justice from Phillips Community College Of The University Of Arkansas
Philander Smith College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best criminal justice schools. Located in the city of Little Rock, Philander Smith College is a small private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 30%. Philander Smith College awarded about 13 criminal justice degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice degree from Philander Smith College earn around $27,413 in the first couple years of their career. Philander Smith College graduates carry a median of $38,630 in student loans.
Get the full criminal justice details for Philander Smith College
Arkansas State University Mountain Home landed the #7 spot for criminal justice this year. This small public university is located in the town of Mountain Home. Arkansas State University Mountain Home awarded about 19 criminal justice degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice degree from Arkansas State University Mountain Home earn around $39,011 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $18,097 to complete this degree.
See the full criminal justice program report for Arkansas State University Mountain Home
Grantham University placed #8 among the best criminal justice schools. Located in the city of LIttle Rock, Grantham University is a moderately-sized public university. Roughly 17% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 42 criminal justice degrees were awarded at Grantham University in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminal justice degree from Grantham University earn around $44,782 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $32,697 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in criminal justice from Grantham University
More Criminal Justice Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 25 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.
