by our College Data Analytics Team
[Criminal Justice And Corrections](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a criminal justice and corrections degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying criminal justice and corrections schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose criminal justice and corrections graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in criminal justice and corrections, no school beat George Washington University this year. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a private not-for-profit institution. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of George Washington University earn a median of about $73,045 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Trinity Washington University earned it the #2 place for criminal justice and corrections. Located in the city of Washington, Trinity Washington University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the criminal justice and corrections program here go on to a median salary of roughly $55,994.
Strong graduate earnings at Strayer University District Of Columbia earned it the #3 place for criminal justice and corrections. Set in the city of Washington, Strayer University District Of Columbia is a private for-profit institution. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of Strayer University District Of Columbia earn a median of about $54,929 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #4 makes Strayer University Global Region one of the highest-paying schools for criminal justice and corrections. Strayer University Global Region is a private for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Early-career criminal justice and corrections graduates from Strayer University Global Region make a median of around $54,929 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in criminal justice and corrections will find them at American University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Washington, American University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the criminal justice and corrections program here go on to a median salary of roughly $67,641.
Howard University landed the #6 spot for criminal justice and corrections salaries this year. Howard University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Students who complete the criminal justice and corrections program here go on to a median salary of roughly $63,116.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries criminal justice and corrections graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 6 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.