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 7 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.
Dakota Wesleyan University tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminal justice and corrections schools in South Dakota. Dakota Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit school located in the town of Mitchell. Early-career criminal justice and corrections graduates from Dakota Wesleyan University make a median of around $53,634 per year.
A rank of #2 makes Southeast Technical Institute one of the highest-paying schools for criminal justice and corrections. Located in the city of Sioux Falls, Southeast Technical Institute is a public institution. After graduating, criminal justice and corrections degree recipients from Southeast Technical Institute typically earn about $49,537 annually.
University Of South Dakota produces some of the highest-paid graduates in criminal justice and corrections, landing the #3 spot this year. University Of South Dakota is a public school located in the town of Vermillion. Early-career criminal justice and corrections graduates from University Of South Dakota make a median of around $56,807 per year.
Lake Area Technical Institute came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying criminal justice and corrections schools. Set in the town of Watertown, Lake Area Technical Institute is a public institution. Students who complete the criminal justice and corrections program here go on to a median salary of roughly $41,230.
A rank of #5 makes National American University Rapid City one of the highest-paying schools for criminal justice and corrections. Set in the city of Rapid City, National American University Rapid City is a private for-profit institution. Criminal Justice And Corrections graduates of National American University Rapid City earn a median of about $42,530 a year early in their careers.
Western Dakota Technical Institute placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for criminal justice and corrections. Located in the city of Rapid City, Western Dakota Technical Institute is a public institution. Students who complete the criminal justice and corrections program here go on to a median salary of roughly $49,288.
University Of Sioux Falls earned the #7 position for criminal justice and corrections graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Sioux Falls, University Of Sioux Falls 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 $38,858.
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 · 7 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.