by our College Data Analytics Team
[Criminal Justice And Corrections](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a criminal justice and corrections degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 11 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying criminal justice and corrections schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send criminal justice and corrections graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
San Juan College tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminal justice and corrections schools in New Mexico. Set in the rural area of Farmington, San Juan College is a public institution. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of San Juan College earn a median of about $49,243 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #2 makes Central New Mexico Community College one of the highest-paying schools for criminal justice and corrections. Set in the city of Albuquerque, Central New Mexico Community College is a public institution. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of Central New Mexico Community College earn a median of about $42,545 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #3 makes University Of New Mexico Main Campus one of the highest-paying schools for criminal justice and corrections. Located in the city of Albuquerque, University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career criminal justice and corrections graduates from University Of New Mexico Main Campus make a median of around $48,220 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Western New Mexico University earned it the #4 place for criminal justice and corrections. Western New Mexico University is a public school located in the town of Silver City. Early-career criminal justice and corrections graduates from Western New Mexico University make a median of around $52,188 per year.
New Mexico State University Main Campus came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminal justice and corrections schools. Located in the suburb of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University Main Campus is a public institution. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of New Mexico State University Main Campus earn a median of about $47,722 a year early in their careers.
Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus earned the #6 position for criminal justice and corrections graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Portales, Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career criminal justice and corrections graduates from Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus make a median of around $44,100 per year.
New Mexico State University Alamogordo earned the #7 position for criminal justice and corrections graduate earnings this year. Located in the rural area of Alamogordo, New Mexico State University Alamogordo is a public institution. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of New Mexico State University Alamogordo earn a median of about $36,982 a year early in their careers.
New Mexico State University Carlsbad ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminal justice and corrections schools. Set in the rural area of Carlsbad, New Mexico State University Carlsbad is a public institution. Early-career criminal justice and corrections graduates from New Mexico State University Carlsbad make a median of around $36,982 per year.
New Mexico State University Dona Ana earned the #9 position for criminal justice and corrections graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University Dona Ana is a public institution. After graduating, criminal justice and corrections degree recipients from New Mexico State University Dona Ana typically earn about $36,982 annually.
New Mexico State University Grants landed the #10 spot for criminal justice and corrections salaries this year. New Mexico State University Grants is a public school located in the town of Grants. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of New Mexico State University Grants earn a median of about $36,982 a year early in their careers.
New Mexico Highlands University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminal justice and corrections schools. Set in the town of Las Vegas, New Mexico Highlands University is a public institution. Students who complete the criminal justice and corrections program here go on to a median salary of roughly $46,465.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their criminal justice and corrections graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 11 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.