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2024 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region

92 Colleges in the Southeast Region
4,689 Associate Degrees
$28,505 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #4 in popularity, criminal justice & corrections is one of the most sought-after associate degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

College Factual looked at 92 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 4,689 associate degrees in criminal justice & corrections to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Criminal Justice & Corrections School for Your Associate Degree

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region The criminal justice associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality criminal justice program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:

Overall Quality Is a Must

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Early-Career Salaries

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their associate degree from the school. After all, your associate degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for criminal justice & corrections students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Criminal Justice Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.


 

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Southeast Region

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for criminal justice & corrections students seeking a an associate degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

13 Top Southeast Region Schools for an Associate in Criminal Justice

1
178 Annual Graduates
$46,115 Median Starting Salary
$17,078 Median Student Debt

Columbia Southern University is a wonderful decision for individuals pursuing an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the town of Orange Beach, Columbia Southern University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Criminal Justice & Corrections associate degree recipients from Columbia Southern University receive an earnings boost of around $17,610 over the average earnings of criminal justice & corrections graduates.

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

2
68 Annual Graduates
$28,014 Median Starting Salary
$25,366 Median Student Debt

It is hard to beat Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale if you wish to pursue an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize city of Fort Lauderdale.

Students who graduate with their associate from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career wages of $28,014.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale

3
108 Annual Graduates
$35,309 Median Starting Salary
$23,486 Median Student Debt

American Public University System is one of the best schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the fringe town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Associate recipients from the criminal justice & corrections degree program at American Public University System make $6,804 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

4
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, FL
91 Annual Graduates
$27,977 Median Starting Salary
$10,500 Median Student Debt

Every student who is interested in an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections has to take a look at Valencia College. Located in the city of Orlando, Valencia College is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After graduation, criminal justice associate recipients typically earn an average of $27,977 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Valencia College

5
205 Annual Graduates
$34,656 Median Starting Salary
$25,999 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public college with a very large student population.

Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their associate degree from Northern Virginia Community College earn $6,151 more than the average criminal justice grad.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Northern Virginia Community College

6
114 Annual Graduates
$31,070 Median Starting Salary
$12,654 Median Student Debt

HCC is a fairly large public college located in the city of Tampa.

Associate recipients from the criminal justice & corrections major at Hillsborough Community College earn $2,565 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Hillsborough Community College

7
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
72 Annual Graduates
$38,721 Median Starting Salary
$28,917 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Associate recipients from the criminal justice & corrections degree program at Liberty University earn $10,216 above the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Liberty University

8

Indian River State College is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Fort Pierce.

Criminal Justice & Corrections associate degree recipients from Indian River State College earn a boost of approximately $10,298 over the typical income of criminal justice & corrections majors.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Indian River State College

9
13 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Savannah, Savannah Tech is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Savannah Technical College

10
7 Annual Graduates

UA Little Rock is a medium-sized public university located in the midsize city of Little Rock.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from University of Arkansas at Little Rock

11
51 Annual Graduates

Located in the large city of Miami, MDC is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Miami Dade College

12
Bethel crest
Bethel University
McKenzie, TN
33 Annual Graduates
$17,638 Median Student Debt

Bethel is a small private not-for-profit university located in the distant town of McKenzie.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Bethel University

13
13 Annual Graduates

Located in the rural area of Waleska, Reinhardt University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Reinhardt University

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections students in the Southeast Region that almost earned our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.

Rank College Location
14 Saint Leo University Saint Leo, FL
15 University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY
16 Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KY
17 Seminole State College of Florida Sanford, FL
18 St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL
19 Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC
20 Rasmussen University - Florida Ocala, FL
21 Palm Beach State College Lake Worth, FL
22 Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL
23 Augusta Technical College Augusta, GA

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges by State

Explore the best criminal justice & corrections schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Mississippi 143 170
Georgia 121 646
Florida 121 818
North Carolina 120 789
Arkansas 105 197
Tennessee 102 210
Virginia 97 571
West Virginia 92 211
Kentucky 90 244
Louisiana 80 260
South Carolina 77 278
Alabama 69 278

View All Rankings >

One of 4 majors within the Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting area of study, Criminal Justice & Corrections has other similar majors worth exploring.

Criminal Justice Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Criminal Justice Studies 2,410
Criminal Justice 1,486
Criminal Justice & Police Science 575
Other Corrections & Criminal Justice 82
Corrections 76
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General 50
Securities Services Administration/Management 9
Protective Services Operations 1

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fire Protection 1,054
Security Science and Technology 334
Homeland Security 168
Other Homeland Security 6

Notes and References

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