by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 113,121 criminal justice and corrections students received their degree, making the major the 7th most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, criminal justice and corrections graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,465 and had an average of $25,425 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 3,037 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,966 and $27,282 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,658 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,117 and $25,584 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois” ranking analyzed 32 colleges that offered a degree in criminal justice and corrections. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their criminal justice and corrections program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Illinois University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 258 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Western Illinois University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eureka College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois. Eureka, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Eureka College
Out of the 32 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Lincoln College landed the #3 spot on the list. Lincoln College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lincoln, Illinois. It awarded 22 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chicago State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small public school handed out 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Chicago State University
Out of the 32 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Blackburn College landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Carlinville, Illinois, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Blackburn College
Lewis University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #6. Lewis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Romeoville, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 97 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Greenville University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking. Greenville is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Greenville, Illinois. It awarded 16 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Greenville University
Governors State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Millikin University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Elmhurst University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking. Elmhurst University is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 31 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #11, Quincy University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois list. Quincy U is located in Quincy, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Quincy University
Aurora University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #12. Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Aurora University
Saint Xavier University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking. SXU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 28 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Saint Xavier University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 92 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
With a ranking of #15, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 51 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Northeastern Illinois University
Illinois State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 145 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Illinois State University
With a ranking of #17, North Park University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois list. North Park University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 16 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #18. Olivet Nazarene is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Olivet Nazarene
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 192 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Trinity Christian College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking. Trinity Christian is a small school located in Palos Heights, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Trinity Christian
University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
With a ranking of #22, Benedictine University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois list. Benedictine U is a small school located in Lisle, Illinois that handed out 33 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Benedictine U
Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #23. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 87 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Bradley University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking. Bradley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Bradley University
Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Roosevelt University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
