2026 Best Criminal Justice Schools in Missouri
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 16 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Criminal Justice in Missouri
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
Our analysis ranked University Of Central Missouri the best school in the country for a degree in criminal justice. This large public university is located in the town of Warrensburg. University Of Central Missouri graduates 54% of students within six years. About 122 criminal justice degrees were awarded at University Of Central Missouri in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminal justice degree from University Of Central Missouri earn around $41,494 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,279.
More information about a degree in criminal justice from University Of Central Missouri
Students looking for a strong criminal justice program will find one at Park University, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Parkville, Park University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Park University graduates 37% of students within six years. About 116 criminal justice degrees were awarded at Park University in the most recent year. Graduates of the criminal justice program make about $49,305 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $18,299 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in criminal justice from Park University
A rank of #3 makes Columbia College Missouri one of the top schools for criminal justice. Set in the city of Columbia, Columbia College Missouri is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 43% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 110 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at Columbia College Missouri in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice graduates of Columbia College Missouri earn a median of $46,741 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $27,344 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in criminal justice from Columbia College Missouri
Students looking for a strong criminal justice program will find one at Missouri Southern State University, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Joplin, Missouri Southern State University is a mid-sized public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 40%. There were roughly 71 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at Missouri Southern State University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Missouri Southern State University generally make around $32,776. Typical student debt for the program is $21,972.
More information about a degree in criminal justice from Missouri Southern State University
A rank of #5 makes Drury University College Of Continuing Professional Studies one of the top schools for criminal justice. This small private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Springfield. The six-year graduation rate is 21%. Drury University College Of Continuing Professional Studies awarded about 66 criminal justice degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice degree from Drury University College Of Continuing Professional Studies earn around $39,646 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $21,133 to complete this degree.
Read more about the criminal justice program at Drury University College Of Continuing Professional Studies
Central Methodist University College Of Liberal Arts And Sciences landed the #6 spot for criminal justice this year. Central Methodist University College Of Liberal Arts And Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Fayette. The six-year graduation rate is 51%. There were roughly 17 criminal justice students who graduated with this degree at Central Methodist University College Of Liberal Arts And Sciences in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice degree from Central Methodist University College Of Liberal Arts And Sciences earn around $36,223 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in criminal justice from Central Methodist University College Of Liberal Arts And Sciences
Culver Stockton College came in at #7 for criminal justice this year. Culver Stockton College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Canton. The six-year graduation rate is 39%. About 13 criminal justice degrees were awarded at Culver Stockton College in the most recent year. Graduates of the criminal justice program make about $33,394 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $27,000.
Read more about the criminal justice program at Culver Stockton College
Central Methodist University College Of Graduate And Extended Studies placed #8 among the best criminal justice schools. Located in the rural area of Fayette, Central Methodist University College Of Graduate And Extended Studies is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Central Methodist University College Of Graduate And Extended Studies awarded about 10 criminal justice degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the criminal justice program make about $36,223 in their early career. Central Methodist University College Of Graduate And Extended Studies graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans.
More information about a degree in criminal justice from Central Methodist University College Of Graduate And Extended Studies
Lincoln University Missouri placed #9 among the best criminal justice schools. Lincoln University Missouri is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Jefferson City. The six-year graduation rate is 20%. Lincoln University Missouri awarded about 12 criminal justice degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Lincoln University Missouri generally make around $32,331. Lincoln University Missouri graduates carry a median of $37,171 in student loans.
See the full criminal justice program report for Lincoln University Missouri
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 · 16 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.
