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2024 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools

861 Colleges in the United States
113,121 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$35,465 Avg Early-Career Salary
Criminal Justice & Corrections is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #7 most popular major in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 861 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice & corrections students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 113,121 degrees in criminal justice & corrections to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Criminal Justice & Corrections School

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools Your choice of criminal justice & corrections school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Criminal Justice & Corrections School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Criminal Justice & Corrections Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Criminal Justice
Bachelor's Degrees in Criminal Justice
Master's Degrees in Criminal Justice
Doctor's Degrees in Criminal Justice

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the United States

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the criminal justice degree levels they offer. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Criminal Justice

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$99,684 Median Starting Salary

University of Chicago is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 23 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from University of Chicago get an earnings boost of around $64,219 over the typical earnings of criminal justice & corrections majors.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of Chicago

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
34.2% Growth in Graduates

George Washington University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in criminal justice & corrections. GWU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 79 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from George Washington University earn $17,648 more than the typical criminal justice student.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from George Washington University

3
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, MA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
93 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$52,578 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in criminal justice & corrections has to check out Boston University. Boston U is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Boston. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Boston U is a great university overall.

There were approximately 93 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections major at Boston University get $17,113 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Boston University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
399 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$48,191 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat George Mason University if you wish to pursue a degree in criminal justice & corrections. GMU is a very large public university located in the suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 399 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from George Mason University get an earnings boost of around $12,726 over the average earnings of criminal justice & corrections majors.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from George Mason University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
131 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
3.8% Growth in Graduates

USD is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of San Diego. This university ranks 29th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were approximately 131 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at USD in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from University of San Diego make $81,461 more than the average criminal justice grad.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of San Diego

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
912 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
13.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the fringe town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #144 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means American Military University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 912 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at American Military University in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from American Public University System earn $13,402 more than the average criminal justice graduate.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from American Public University System

7
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
646 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
2.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #121 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Florida State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 646 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Florida State University make $2,770 more than the typical criminal justice graduate.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Florida State University

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
414 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
5.6% Growth in Graduates

ASU - Tempe is a very large public university located in the city of Tempe. A Best Colleges rank of #119 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means ASU - Tempe is a great university overall.

There were approximately 414 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Arizona State University - Tempe receive $9,929 more than the typical criminal justice student.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Arizona State University - Tempe

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
379 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
5.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Lowell, UMass Lowell is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 21st out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were approximately 379 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UMass Lowell in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections degree program at University of Massachusetts - Lowell make $26,446 above the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of Massachusetts - Lowell

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,554 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$37,653 Median Starting Salary

UOPX - Arizona is a very large private for-profit university located in the city of Phoenix. A Best Colleges rank of #113 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UOPX - Arizona is a great university overall.

There were roughly 1554 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UOPX - Arizona in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from University of Phoenix - Arizona make $2,189 more than the standard criminal justice graduate.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of Phoenix - Arizona

11
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
494 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$52,472 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Orange Beach, Columbia Southern University is a private for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #114 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Columbia Southern University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 494 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Columbia Southern University in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Columbia Southern University earn $17,007 more than the average criminal justice grad.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Columbia Southern University

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,933 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
5.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of New York, John Jay is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 16th out of 142 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 1933.0000000000002 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at John Jay in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice make $8,022 more than the standard criminal justice grad.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from John Jay College of Criminal Justice

13
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
95 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$54,250 Median Starting Salary

Northeastern is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Boston. A Best Colleges rank of #59 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northeastern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 95 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Northeastern University make $18,785 more than the average criminal justice student.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Northeastern University

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
444 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
2.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 8th out of 26 schools for overall quality in the state of Arizona.

There were roughly 444 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Skysong in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Arizona State University - Skysong make $9,929 more than the standard criminal justice student.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Arizona State University - Skysong

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,031 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
4.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the distant town of Huntsville, SHSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 27th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 1031 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at SHSU in the most recent year we have data available. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from Sam Houston State University receive an earnings boost of around $6,881 above the average income of criminal justice & corrections graduates.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Sam Houston State University

16
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
180 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
12.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were about 180 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from Michigan State University earn a boost of about $9,907 above the typical earnings of criminal justice & corrections majors.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Michigan State University

17
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
373 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$39,419 Median Starting Salary

UC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Cincinnati. This university ranks 5th out of 96 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were approximately 373 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections degree program at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus get $3,954 above the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

18
Golden West College crest
Golden West College
Huntington Beach, CA
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
170 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$67,154 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Huntington Beach, Golden West College is a public college with a large student population. This college ranks 31st out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 170 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Golden West College in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Golden West College earn $31,689 more than the average criminal justice student.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Golden West College

18
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19
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$38,562 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Fort Worth, TCU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #80 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means TCU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 67 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections major at Texas Christian University earn $3,097 above the average college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Texas Christian University

20
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
221 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$33,336 Median Starting Salary

CSN is a fairly large public college located in the city of Las Vegas. This college ranks 3rd out of 9 schools for overall quality in the state of Nevada.

There were about 221 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at CSN in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program report average early career earnings of $33,336.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from College of Southern Nevada

21
Purdue University Global crest
Purdue University Global
West Lafayette, IN

Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Global is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 11th out of 42 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Purdue University Global

22
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
646 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
8.4% Growth in Graduates

UCF is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Orlando. This university ranks 7th out of 77 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were about 646 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UCF in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from University of Central Florida earn $2,907 more than the typical criminal justice grad.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of Central Florida

23
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
105 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
18.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 13th out of 52 schools for overall quality in the state of Minnesota.

There were about 105 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Minnesota State Mankato in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Minnesota State University - Mankato earn $6,079 more than the typical criminal justice student.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Minnesota State University - Mankato

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
643 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
1.6% Growth in Graduates

FIU is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Miami. This university ranks 6th out of 77 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were about 643 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at FIU in the most recent year we have data available. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from Florida International University get an earnings boost of around $3,020 over the average income of criminal justice & corrections majors.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Florida International University

Rest of the Top 50 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools

26
27
28
29
30
31
32

33

34
Century College crest
Century College
White Bear Lake, MN
35
36
Rowan crest
Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ
37
38
39
40
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
41

42
University of New Haven crest
University of New Haven
West Haven, CT

43
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX
44
National University crest
National University
San Diego, CA
45
46
47
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
48
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
49
50

Remaining Award Winners

This list represents the rest of the colleges awarded a Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 861 different United States criminal justice & corrections schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH
52 Saint Leo University Saint Leo, FL
53 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
54 University of St Thomas Minnesota Saint Paul, MN
54 Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI
55 Simpson College Indianola, IA
56 Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN
57 Seattle University Seattle, WA
58 Gateway Technical College Kenosha, WI
59 University of Louisville Louisville, KY
60 Mississippi College Clinton, MS
61 Moreno Valley College Moreno Valley, CA
62 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
63 Iowa State University Ames, IA
64 Southwestern College Chula Vista, CA
65 El Centro College Dallas, TX
66 Valencia College Orlando, FL
67 University of Georgia Athens, GA
68 Blinn College Brenham, TX
69 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
70 Park University Parkville, MO
71 Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO
71 South Texas College McAllen, TX
72 Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA
73 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
74 Illinois State University Normal, IL
75 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
76 Southwestern College Winfield, KS
77 Macomb Community College Warren, MI
78 Weber State University Ogden, UT
79 Western Illinois University Macomb, IL
80 Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI
81 Walden University Minneapolis, MN
81 Wayland Baptist University Plainview, TX
82 Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI
83 Delaware Technical Community College - Terry Dover, DE
84 Saint Louis University Saint Louis, MO
85 University of Houston - Downtown Houston, TX
86 Hillsborough Community College Tampa, FL
87 Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA
88 Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL
89 Bellevue University Bellevue, NE
90 University of North Texas Denton, TX
91 Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN
92 West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA
93 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK
94 Ball State University Muncie, IN
95 East Los Angeles College Monterey Park, CA
96 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
97 Rutgers University - Newark Newark, NJ
98 Westfield State University Westfield, MA
99 Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Cloquet, MN
100 St John’s University - New York Queens, NY
101 University of North Dakota Grand Forks, ND
102 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
103 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
104 Marymount University Arlington, VA
105 University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC
106 Waldorf University Forest City, IA
107 University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY
108 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO
109 Monroe College Bronx, NY
110 Napa Valley College Napa, CA
111 Fisher College Boston, MA
112 Western Oregon University Monmouth, OR
113 Robert Morris University Moon Township, PA
114 California State University - Fullerton Fullerton, CA
115 Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX
116 DeSales University Center Valley, PA
117 Blackhawk Technical College Janesville, WI
118 Lake Superior State University Sault Ste Marie, MI
119 Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN
120 Lewis University Romeoville, IL
121 Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, MN
122 Columbia College Columbia, SC
123 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
124 Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA
125 California State University - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
126 University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO
127 Boise State University Boise, ID
128 Madonna University Livonia, MI
129 Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools award.

Rank College Location
130 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
131 Western Technical College La Crosse, WI
132 California State University - East Bay Hayward, CA
133 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
134 American InterContinental University - Online Chandler, AZ
135 Missouri Southern State University Joplin, MO
136 Savannah Technical College Savannah, GA
137 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA
138 Fox Valley Technical College Appleton, WI
139 McLennan Community College Waco, TX
140 College of Southern Idaho Twin Falls, ID
141 University of Dayton Dayton, OH
142 University of Wisconsin - Platteville Platteville, WI
143 San Jose State University San Jose, CA
144 Curry College Milton, MA
145 Middlesex County College Edison, NJ
146 Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC
147 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
148 Salem State University Salem, MA
149 University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR
150 University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL
151 Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH
152 Fresno City College Fresno, CA
153 California State University - Stanislaus Turlock, CA
154 University of Toledo Toledo, OH
155 Northern Michigan University Marquette, MI
156 Widener University Chester, PA
157 Xavier University Cincinnati, OH
158 Wilmington University New Castle, DE
159 University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO
160 Arizona Western College Yuma, AZ
161 California University of Pennsylvania California, PA
161 University of Baltimore Baltimore, MD
162 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
163 Queensborough Community College Bayside, NY
164 Suffolk University Boston, MA
165 Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL
166 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Moorhead, MN
167 Bethel University McKenzie, TN
168 Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Fennimore, WI
169 Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN
170 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA
171 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
172 Prairie View A & M University Prairie View, TX

Criminal Justice & Corrections by Region

View the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Criminal Justice & Corrections is one of 4 different types of Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting programs to choose from.

Criminal Justice Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Criminal Justice Studies 46,814
Criminal Justice 32,891
Criminal Justice & Police Science 22,722
Corrections 4,039
Other Corrections & Criminal Justice 3,675
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General 1,133
Securities Services Administration/Management 849
Security & Loss Prevention Services 475
Law Enforcement Investigation & Interviewing 227
Corrections Administration 165

View All Criminal Justice Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Criminal Justice

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fire Protection 13,766
Homeland Security 7,140
Security Science and Technology 6,888
Other Homeland Security 1,695

View All Criminal Justice Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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