by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major” 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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 7,135 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major” ranking, we looked at 318 colleges that offer a degree in criminal justice and corrections. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in criminal justice and corrections.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree criminal justice students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grambling State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. Grambling State University is located in Grambling, Louisiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 84 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hilbert College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. Hilbert College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hamburg, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Hilbert College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Anna Maria College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. Anna Maria is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Paxton, Massachusetts. It awarded 48 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Out of the 318 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern University at New Orleans landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it awarded 33 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Out of the 318 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of New Haven landed the #5 spot on the list. University of New Haven is a private not-for-profit institution located in West Haven, Connecticut. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 172 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of New Haven
Faulkner University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. Faulkner University is a small school located in Montgomery, Alabama that handed out 71 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Faulkner University
With a ranking of #7, Salve Regina University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. Salve Regina University is a small school located in Newport, Rhode Island that handed out 60 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Salve Regina University
Bethel University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. McKenzie, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Bethel
Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Barranquitas landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. Located in Barranquitas, , this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 degrees to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.
Webber International University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. Webber International University is a small school located in Babson Park, Florida that handed out 11 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Webber International University
Saint Leo University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. St. Leo University is located in Saint Leo, Florida and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 210 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Full St. Leo University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. John Jay College of Criminal Justice is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 254 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at John Jay
With a ranking of #13, Albertus Magnus College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Albertus Magnus College
South University, Virginia Beach did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking, coming in at #14. South University, Virginia Beach is a private for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees 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.
Full South University, Virginia Beach Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
North Carolina Wesleyan College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking, coming in at #15. This small school is located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and it awarded 23 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at North Carolina Wesleyan College
With a ranking of #16, New England College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. NEC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Henniker, New Hampshire. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of San Diego came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 131 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of San Diego Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
With a ranking of #18, South University, Montgomery did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. South University, Montgomery is located in Montgomery, Alabama and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full South University, Montgomery Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Columbus State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Columbus, Georgia, and it awarded 62 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Mount Mercy University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. This small school is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and it awarded 21 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Mount Mercy
With a ranking of #22, Columbia College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. Columbia College South Carolina is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Columbia, South Carolina. It awarded 15 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Curry College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major ranking. Located in Milton, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #24, Hardin - Simmons University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. Located in Abilene, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 degrees to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Hardin - Simmons University
South University, Columbia ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major list. South University, Columbia is a private for-profit institution located in Columbia, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at South University, Columbia
Not only did these schools make the top 48 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
