College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

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

15 Colleges in Missouri
910 Bachelor's Degrees
$34,018 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 15 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor's Degree Schools in Missouri ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 910 bachelor's degrees in criminal justice & corrections during the 2020-2021 academic year.

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 Missouri 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 schools 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

The criminal justice school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor's Degree Schools in Missouri.

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 Missouri

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

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

1
Park University crest
Park University
Parkville, MO
145 Annual Graduates
$39,411 Median Starting Salary
$18,299 Median Student Debt

Park University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the suburb of Parkville, Park University is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.

Bachelor's recipients from the criminal justice & corrections degree program at Park University earn $5,393 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

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

2
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO
22 Annual Graduates
$33,806 Median Starting Salary
$23,694 Median Student Debt

Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in criminal justice & corrections has to look into Saint Louis University. SLU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Saint Louis.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make an average of $33,806 for their early career.

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

3
112 Annual Graduates
$34,231 Median Starting Salary
$23,279 Median Student Debt

It's hard to beat University of Central Missouri if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in criminal justice & corrections. UCM is a large public university located in the distant town of Warrensburg.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the criminal justice program report average early career wages of $34,231.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from University of Central Missouri

4
Columbia College Missouri crest
Columbia College
Columbia, MO
130 Annual Graduates
$38,931 Median Starting Salary
$25,750 Median Student Debt

Columbia College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in criminal justice & corrections. Columbia College Missouri is a medium-sized private not-for-profit college located in the medium-sized city of Columbia.

Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their bachelor's degree from Columbia College earn $4,913 more than the typical criminal justice student.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from Columbia College

5
72 Annual Graduates
$31,903 Median Starting Salary
$24,120 Median Student Debt

Located in the city of Joplin, Missouri Southern is a public university with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the criminal justice program report average early career earnings of $31,903.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from Missouri Southern State University

6
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, MO
35 Annual Graduates
$30,597 Median Starting Salary
$21,997 Median Student Debt

Located in the town of Kirksville, Truman State is a public university with a small student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the criminal justice program report average early career earnings of $30,597.

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

7
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, MO
69 Annual Graduates
$33,954 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Saint Charles.

Bachelor's students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn an average of $33,954 in their early career salary.

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

8
53 Annual Graduates
$31,942 Median Starting Salary
$26,625 Median Student Debt

Located in the small city of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri State University is a public university with a medium-sized student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the criminal justice program report average early career wages of $31,942.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from Southeast Missouri State University

9
36 Annual Graduates
$33,540 Median Starting Salary
$20,149 Median Student Debt

Missouri Western is a small public university located in the city of Saint Joseph.

Soon after graduating, criminal justice bachelor's recipients typically make about $33,540 in their early careers.

More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections from Missouri Western State University

10
30 Annual Graduates
$33,475 Median Starting Salary
$23,187 Median Student Debt

Located in the large suburb of Saint Louis, MBU is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population.

Students who graduate with their bachelor's from the criminal justice program report average early career wages of $33,475.

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

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 215 630
Iowa 197 387
Kansas 184 440
Nebraska 180 410
North Dakota 149 193
South Dakota 148 95

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 612
Criminal Justice Studies 223
Corrections 70
Securities Services Administration/Management 5

Related Major Annual Graduates
Homeland Security 49
Security Science and Technology 15
Fire Protection 2

Notes and References

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options