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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Great Lakes Region

41 Ranked Colleges
610 Degrees Awarded
$48,082 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that 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 the Great Lakes region, there were 13,463 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,578 and $23,701 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 610 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,892 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 41 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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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 in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees 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.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses

2
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lewis University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Romeoville, Illinois, and it awarded 48 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lewis University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

3
Tiffin University crest
Tiffin University
Tiffin, Ohio

Out of the 41 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Tiffin University landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Tiffin, Ohio, and it awarded 19 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Tiffin University

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a medium-sized school located in Platteville, Wisconsin that handed out 39 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at UW - Platteville

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region list. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 43 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Full WIU Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

6
Adrian crest
Adrian College
Adrian, Michigan

Adrian College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Adrian, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

Full Adrian Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

7
Xavier crest
Xavier University
Cincinnati, Ohio

Xavier University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Xavier University is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full Xavier University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

8
CSU crest
Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. CSU is a small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 5 masters’s criminal justice degrees 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.

Full Chicago State University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

9

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 111 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at UC

10
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

Governors State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 10 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at GSU

11
McKendree crest
McKendree University
Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. McKendree is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full McKendree Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

12
Franklin University crest
Franklin University
Columbus, Ohio

Franklin University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Franklin University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

13
Purdue University Global crest
Purdue University Global
Indianapolis, Indiana

With a ranking of #13, Purdue University Global did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue University Global is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 70 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Purdue University Global Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

14
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ferris State University is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 18 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Ferris Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

15

With a ranking of #15, Youngstown State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Youngstown State University

16
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Aurora is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 8 masters’s criminal justice 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 more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Aurora

17
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 23 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Chicago

18

Wright State University - Main Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wright State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Dayton, Ohio that handed out 10 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Wright State University - Main Campus Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

19
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this large public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Wayne State

20
Illinois State crest
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

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

21

Miami University - Hamilton did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. Miami University - Hamilton is located in Hamilton, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Miami University - Hamilton

22

With a ranking of #22, Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Marion, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at IWU

23
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 9 degrees to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Loyola Chicago

24
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 20 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Michigan State

25

Kent State University at Kent landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Kent State University at Kent

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