College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Criminal Justice Schools in Texas

18 Colleges in Texas
1,236 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
Criminal Justice is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #27 most popular major in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 18 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Criminal Justice Schools in Texas ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,236 degrees in criminal justice to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Criminal Justice School

Best Criminal Justice Schools in Texas Your choice of criminal justice school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Criminal Justice School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Criminal Justice Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Criminal Justice
Bachelor's Degrees in Criminal Justice
Master's Degrees in Criminal Justice
Doctor's Degrees in Criminal Justice

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 Schools in Texas list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Criminal Justice in Texas

If you aren't 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.

10 Top Texas Schools in Criminal Justice

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
7th Most Popular In TX
44 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded

Sam Houston State University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in criminal justice. Located in the distant town of Huntsville, SHSU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #565 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means SHSU is a great university overall.

There were about 44 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at SHSU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice from Sam Houston State University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In TX
542 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a great decision for students interested in a degree in criminal justice. Located in the city of Edinburg, UT Rio Grande Valley is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #458 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UT Rio Grande Valley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 542 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at UT Rio Grande Valley in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In TX
104 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded

Any student who is interested in criminal justice has to check out Wayland Baptist University. Wayland Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit university located in the town of Plainview. A Best Colleges rank of #476 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Wayland Baptist University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 104 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at Wayland Baptist University in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice from Wayland Baptist University

4
Tarleton crest
Tarleton State University
Stephenville, TX
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
21st Most Popular In TX

Tarleton State University is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice. Tarleton is a fairly large public university located in the town of Stephenville. A Best Colleges rank of #1094 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Tarleton is a great university overall.

There were roughly 11 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at Tarleton in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice from Tarleton State University

5
Amarillo College crest
Amarillo College
Amarillo, TX
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In TX
55 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded

Amarillo College is a moderately-sized public college located in the city of Amarillo. This college ranks 62nd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 55 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at Amarillo College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in criminal justice from Amarillo College

6
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
12th Most Popular In TX

Located in the city of San Marcos, Texas State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #397 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Texas State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 20 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at Texas State in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in criminal justice from Texas State University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In TX
35 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Laredo, Texas A&M International University is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 64th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 35 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M International University in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in criminal justice from Texas A&M International University

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In TX

Located in the rural area of Killeen, Texas A & M University - Central Texas is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 85th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 27 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at Texas A & M University - Central Texas in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice from Texas A & M University - Central Texas

9
South Plains College crest
South Plains College
Levelland, TX
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In TX
49 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded

South Plains College is a moderately-sized public college located in the town of Levelland. This college ranks 100th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 49 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at South Plains College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice from South Plains College

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In TX

Located in the city of San Antonio, UIW is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #797 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIW is a great university overall.

There were roughly 28 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at UIW in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in criminal justice from University of the Incarnate Word

Best Criminal Justice Colleges in the Southwest Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Arizona 670 1,815
Oklahoma 565 274
New Mexico 416 33

View All Rankings >

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

Related Major Annual Graduates
Criminal Justice Studies 5,934
Criminal Justice & Police Science 1,807
Other Corrections & Criminal Justice 106
Corrections 63
Securities Services Administration/Management 50
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General 41
Juvenile Corrections 30

View All Criminal Justice Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options