by our College Data Analytics Team
[Criminal Justice And Corrections](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. 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:
Below are the schools whose criminal justice and corrections graduates go on to earn the most.
University Of Houston Downtown earned the #1 spot for highest-paid criminal justice and corrections graduates in Texas. Set in the city of Houston, University Of Houston Downtown is a public institution. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of University Of Houston Downtown earn a median of about $92,757 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Texas Southern University earned it the #2 place for criminal justice and corrections. Set in the city of Houston, Texas Southern University is a public institution. Early-career criminal justice and corrections graduates from Texas Southern University make a median of around $75,749 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Sam Houston State University earned it the #3 place for criminal justice and corrections. Sam Houston State University is a public school located in the town of Huntsville. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of Sam Houston State University earn a median of about $91,329 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Tarleton State University earned it the #4 place for criminal justice and corrections. Set in the town of Stephenville, Tarleton State University is a public institution. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of Tarleton State University earn a median of about $67,205 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #5 makes The University Of Texas At Arlington one of the highest-paying schools for criminal justice and corrections. Set in the city of Arlington, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a public institution. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of The University Of Texas At Arlington earn a median of about $68,004 a year early in their careers.
Lamar University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminal justice and corrections schools. Set in the city of Beaumont, Lamar University is a public institution. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of Lamar University earn a median of about $58,203 a year early in their careers.
University Of North Texas came in at #7 for criminal justice and corrections graduate earnings this year. University Of North Texas is a public school located in the city of Denton. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of University Of North Texas earn a median of about $54,876 a year early in their careers.
Texas State University San Marcos landed the #8 spot for criminal justice and corrections salaries this year. Texas State University San Marcos is a public school located in the city of San Marcos. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of Texas State University San Marcos earn a median of about $53,264 a year early in their careers.
The University Of Texas At San Antonio earned the #9 position for criminal justice and corrections graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of San Antonio, The University Of Texas At San Antonio is a public institution. Early-career criminal justice and corrections graduates from The University Of Texas At San Antonio make a median of around $49,241 per year.
The University Of Texas Pan American ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminal justice and corrections schools. Set in the city of Edinburg, The University Of Texas Pan American is a public institution. Early-career criminal justice and corrections graduates from The University Of Texas Pan American make a median of around $60,818 per year.
Texas A And M International University landed the #11 spot for criminal justice and corrections salaries this year. Texas A And M International University is a public school located in the city of Laredo. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of Texas A And M International University earn a median of about $46,596 a year early in their careers.
This ranking is produced 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 · 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.