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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 good decision for students interested in a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the large 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 approximately 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 receive an earnings boost of around $64,219 over the typical income of criminal justice & corrections graduates.

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

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

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

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
93 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$52,578 Median Starting Salary

Any student who is interested in criminal justice & corrections needs to take a look at 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 degree program at Boston University earn $17,113 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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 fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 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 about $12,726 over the typical 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 medium-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 roughly 131 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at USD in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from University of San Diego receive $81,461 more than the typical 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 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 approximately 912 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at American Military University in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from American Public University System receive $13,402 more than the average criminal justice graduate.

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

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
646 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
2.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #121 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Florida State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 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 earn $2,770 more than the standard 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 midsize 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 roughly 414 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Arizona State University - Tempe make $9,929 more than the average criminal justice grad.

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 schools for overall quality in the state of Massachusetts.

There were about 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 major at University of Massachusetts - Lowell earn $26,446 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 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 about 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 earn $2,189 more than the average 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 schools 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 graduate.

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 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 about 1933.0000000000002 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at John Jay in the most recent year we have data available. 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 graduate.

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 colleges nationwide means Northeastern is a great university overall.

There were roughly 95 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Northeastern in the most recent data year. 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 medium-sized city of Scottsdale, ASU - Skysong is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 8th out of 26 colleges 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 receive $9,929 more than the typical 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 very large student population. This university ranks 27th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 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 get an earnings boost of approximately $6,881 over the average earnings of criminal justice & corrections graduates.

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

16
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
180 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
12.2% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small 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 schools 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 year we have data available. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from Michigan State University receive an earnings boost of around $9,907 over the average 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 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were about 373 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections degree program at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus make $3,954 above the standard graduate in this field 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 large suburb of Huntington Beach, Golden West College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 31st out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

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

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 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 colleges nationwide means TCU is a great university overall.

There were about 67 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at TCU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections major at Texas Christian University earn $3,097 above the typical college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

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 very large public college located in the large city of Las Vegas. This college ranks 3rd out of 9 colleges for overall quality in the state of Nevada.

There were approximately 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 state that they receive 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 small 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 large suburb of Orlando. This university ranks 7th out of 77 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 646 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UCF in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from University of Central Florida make $2,907 more than the average 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 city of Mankato, Minnesota State Mankato is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 13th out of 52 colleges 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 receive $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 suburb of Miami. This university ranks 6th out of 77 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were approximately 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 earn a boost of approximately $3,020 above the typical 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

43
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 section represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 861 different United States criminal justice & corrections schools we analyzed.

RankCollegeLocation
51Southern New Hampshire UniversityManchester, NH
52Saint Leo UniversitySaint Leo, FL
53The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX
54University of St Thomas MinnesotaSaint Paul, MN
54Grand Rapids Community CollegeGrand Rapids, MI
55Simpson CollegeIndianola, IA
56Metropolitan State UniversitySaint Paul, MN
57Seattle UniversitySeattle, WA
58Gateway Technical CollegeKenosha, WI
59University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY
60Mississippi CollegeClinton, MS
61Moreno Valley CollegeMoreno Valley, CA
62University of Oklahoma Norman CampusNorman, OK
63Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA
64Southwestern CollegeChula Vista, CA
65El Centro CollegeDallas, TX
66Valencia CollegeOrlando, FL
67University of GeorgiaAthens, GA
68Blinn CollegeBrenham, TX
69California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
70Park UniversityParkville, MO
71Colorado Technical University - Colorado SpringsColorado Springs, CO
71South Texas CollegeMcAllen, TX
72Northern Virginia Community CollegeAnnandale, VA
73San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA
74Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL
75California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
76Southwestern CollegeWinfield, KS
77Macomb Community CollegeWarren, MI
78Weber State UniversityOgden, UT
79Western Illinois UniversityMacomb, IL
80Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, MI
81Walden UniversityMinneapolis, MN
81Wayland Baptist UniversityPlainview, TX
82Madison Area Technical CollegeMadison, WI
83Delaware Technical Community College - TerryDover, DE
84Saint Louis UniversitySaint Louis, MO
85University of Houston - DowntownHouston, TX
86Hillsborough Community CollegeTampa, FL
87Central Washington UniversityEllensburg, WA
88Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL
89Bellevue UniversityBellevue, NE
90University of North TexasDenton, TX
91Ivy Tech Community CollegeIndianapolis, IN
92West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest Chester, PA
93University of Central OklahomaEdmond, OK
94Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN
95East Los Angeles CollegeMonterey Park, CA
96Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
97Rutgers University - NewarkNewark, NJ
98Westfield State UniversityWestfield, MA
99Fond du Lac Tribal and Community CollegeCloquet, MN
100St John’s University - New YorkQueens, NY
101University of North DakotaGrand Forks, ND
102Eastern Kentucky UniversityRichmond, KY
103Grand Canyon UniversityPhoenix, AZ
104Marymount UniversityArlington, VA
105University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC
106Waldorf UniversityForest City, IA
107University of the CumberlandsWilliamsburg, KY
108University of Central MissouriWarrensburg, MO
109Monroe CollegeBronx, NY
110Napa Valley CollegeNapa, CA
111Fisher CollegeBoston, MA
112Western Oregon UniversityMonmouth, OR
113Robert Morris UniversityMoon Township, PA
114California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
115Tarleton State UniversityStephenville, TX
116DeSales UniversityCenter Valley, PA
117Blackhawk Technical CollegeJanesville, WI
118Lake Superior State UniversitySault Ste Marie, MI
119Indiana University - Purdue University - IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN
120Lewis UniversityRomeoville, IL
121Saint Cloud State UniversitySaint Cloud, MN
122Columbia CollegeColumbia, SC
123University of Massachusetts - BostonBoston, MA
124Santa Ana CollegeSanta Ana, CA
125California State University - Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA
126University of Colorado at Colorado SpringsColorado Springs, CO
127Boise State UniversityBoise, ID
128Madonna UniversityLivonia, MI
129Des Moines Area Community CollegeAnkeny, 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.

RankCollegeLocation
130California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
131Western Technical CollegeLa Crosse, WI
132California State University - East BayHayward, CA
133University of Wisconsin - Eau ClaireEau Claire, WI
134American InterContinental University - OnlineChandler, AZ
135Missouri Southern State UniversityJoplin, MO
136Savannah Technical CollegeSavannah, GA
137University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh CampusPittsburgh, PA
138Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppleton, WI
139McLennan Community CollegeWaco, TX
140College of Southern IdahoTwin Falls, ID
141University of DaytonDayton, OH
142University of Wisconsin - PlattevillePlatteville, WI
143San Jose State UniversitySan Jose, CA
144Curry CollegeMilton, MA
145Middlesex County CollegeEdison, NJ
146Citadel Military College of South CarolinaCharleston, SC
147Grand Valley State UniversityAllendale, MI
148Salem State UniversitySalem, MA
149University of Arkansas at Little RockLittle Rock, AR
150University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL
151Kent State University at KentKent, OH
152Fresno City CollegeFresno, CA
153California State University - StanislausTurlock, CA
154University of ToledoToledo, OH
155Northern Michigan UniversityMarquette, MI
156Widener UniversityChester, PA
157Xavier UniversityCincinnati, OH
158Wilmington UniversityNew Castle, DE
159University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, CO
160Arizona Western CollegeYuma, AZ
161California University of PennsylvaniaCalifornia, PA
161University of BaltimoreBaltimore, MD
162Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI
163Queensborough Community CollegeBayside, NY
164Suffolk UniversityBoston, MA
165Indian River State CollegeFort Pierce, FL
166Minnesota State University - MoorheadMoorhead, MN
167Bethel UniversityMcKenzie, TN
168Southwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeFennimore, WI
169Bemidji State UniversityBemidji, MN
170Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg, PA
171University of Wisconsin - MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI
172Prairie View A & M UniversityPrairie 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

MajorAnnual Graduates
Criminal Justice Studies46,814
Criminal Justice32,891
Criminal Justice & Police Science22,722
Corrections4,039
Other Corrections & Criminal Justice3,675
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General1,133
Securities Services Administration/Management849
Security & Loss Prevention Services475
Law Enforcement Investigation & Interviewing227
Corrections Administration165

View All Criminal Justice Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Criminal Justice

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Fire Protection13,766
Homeland Security7,140
Security Science and Technology6,888
Other Homeland Security1,695

View All Criminal Justice Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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