College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor's Degree Schools in California

21 Colleges in California
5,151 Bachelor's Degrees
$34,376 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #7 in popularity, criminal justice & corrections is one of the most sought-after bachelor's 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.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 21 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 5,151 bachelor's 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 Bachelor's Degree

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor's Degree Schools in California Your choice of criminal justice & corrections for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. 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

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. 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

Average early-career salary of those graduating with their bachelor's degree is one indicator we use in our analysis to find the schools that offer the highest-quality education. After all, your bachelor's 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 bachelor's 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 Bachelor's Degree Schools in California 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Criminal Justice & Corrections in California

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in criminal justice & corrections.

10 Top California Schools for a Bachelor's in Criminal Justice

1
472 Annual Graduates
$43,251 Median Starting Salary
$37,625 Median Student Debt

The University of Arizona Global Campus is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in criminal justice & corrections. UAGC is a fairly large private for-profit university located in the large city of San Diego.

Bachelor's recipients from the criminal justice & corrections major at The University of Arizona Global Campus get $8,875 more than the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from The University of Arizona Global Campus

2
391 Annual Graduates
$31,547 Median Starting Salary
$12,998 Median Student Debt

San Diego State University is a good choice for students interested in a bachelor's degree in criminal justice & corrections. SDSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Diego.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career income of $31,547.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from San Diego State University

3
National University crest
National University
San Diego, CA
117 Annual Graduates
$53,819 Median Starting Salary
$28,014 Median Student Debt

It's difficult to beat National University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the city of San Diego, National University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their bachelor's degree from National University receive $19,443 more than the typical criminal justice student.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from National University

4
489 Annual Graduates
$33,592 Median Starting Salary
$13,745 Median Student Debt

California State University - Sacramento is a great choice for students interested in a bachelor's degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public university with a fairly large student population.

Soon after graduating, criminal justice bachelor's recipients typically earn about $33,592 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from California State University - Sacramento

5
302 Annual Graduates
$31,210 Median Starting Salary
$15,000 Median Student Debt

CSULB is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Long Beach.

Soon after graduating, criminal justice bachelor's recipients typically earn about $31,210 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from California State University - Long Beach

6
233 Annual Graduates
$37,329 Median Starting Salary
$13,518 Median Student Debt

SFSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Francisco.

Criminal Justice & Corrections bachelor's degree recipients from San Francisco State University earn a boost of about $2,953 above the average income of criminal justice & corrections majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from San Francisco State University

7
365 Annual Graduates
$32,658 Median Starting Salary
$11,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the large suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a very large student population.

Bachelor's graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn about $32,658 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from California State University - Fullerton

8
330 Annual Graduates
$32,136 Median Starting Salary
$11,679 Median Student Debt

Cal State LA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career earnings of $32,136.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from California State University - Los Angeles

9
261 Annual Graduates
$30,928 Median Starting Salary
$14,917 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of San Bernardino, CSUSB is a public university with a large student population.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn around $30,928 in their early career salary.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from California State University - San Bernardino

10
242 Annual Graduates
$39,264 Median Starting Salary
$15,500 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Hayward, Cal State East Bay is a public university with a large student population.

Criminal Justice & Corrections bachelor's degree recipients from California State University - East Bay get an earnings boost of approximately $4,888 over the average earnings of criminal justice & corrections majors.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from California State University - East Bay

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 226 345
Oregon 185 275
Nevada 129 393
Hawaii 112 112
Alaska 75 65

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 4,615
Criminal Justice 525
Securities Services Administration/Management 11

Related Major Annual Graduates
Security Science and Technology 68
Fire Protection 51
Homeland Security 44

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options