2026 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Washington
Criminal Justice & Corrections is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
College Factual analyzed 27 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best criminal justice & corrections schools.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections in Washington
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall criminal justice & corrections education in Washington.
Top Schools in Criminal Justice & Corrections
No school ranked higher than Seattle University this year for criminal justice & corrections. Set in the city of Seattle, Seattle University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. About 76% of students finish within six years. About 37 criminal justice & corrections degrees were awarded at Seattle University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Seattle University generally make around $49,831. Seattle University graduates carry a median of $21,247 in student loans.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Seattle University
Central Washington University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the town of Ellensburg, Central Washington University is a very large public institution. Roughly 54% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 131 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Central Washington University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Central Washington University generally make around $44,172. Students borrow a median of $21,954 to complete this degree.
Get the full criminal justice & corrections details for Central Washington University
Students looking for a strong criminal justice & corrections program will find one at University Of Washington Tacoma Campus, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Tacoma, University Of Washington Tacoma Campus is a moderately-sized public university. The six-year graduation rate is 63%. There were roughly 61 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at University Of Washington Tacoma Campus in the most recent data year. Graduates of the criminal justice & corrections program make about $40,669 in their early career. University Of Washington Tacoma Campus graduates carry a median of $15,269 in student loans.
Read more about the criminal justice & corrections program at University Of Washington Tacoma Campus
A rank of #4 makes Pierce College At Fort Steilacoom one of the top schools for criminal justice & corrections. Set in the city of Lakewood, Pierce College At Fort Steilacoom is a large public institution. There were roughly 54 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Pierce College At Fort Steilacoom in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Pierce College At Fort Steilacoom earn a median of $39,975 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $17,154 to complete this degree.
See the full criminal justice & corrections program report for Pierce College At Fort Steilacoom
A rank of #5 makes Spokane Community College one of the top schools for criminal justice & corrections. Located in the city of Spokane, Spokane Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Spokane Community College awarded about 18 criminal justice & corrections degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the criminal justice & corrections program make about $41,451 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $16,486 to complete this degree.
Get the full criminal justice & corrections details for Spokane Community College
Green River Community College placed #6 among the best criminal justice & corrections schools. Set in the city of Auburn, Green River Community College is a large public institution. There were roughly 33 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Green River Community College in the most recent data year.
Read more about the criminal justice & corrections program at Green River Community College
Shoreline Community College placed #7 among the best criminal justice & corrections schools. This moderately-sized public university is located in the suburb of Shoreline. Shoreline Community College awarded about 17 criminal justice & corrections degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice & corrections degree from Shoreline Community College earn around $62,009 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $16,700.
Read more about the criminal justice & corrections program at Shoreline Community College
Saint Martins University landed the #8 spot for criminal justice & corrections this year. Set in the city of Lacey, Saint Martins University is a small private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 52%. About 14 criminal justice & corrections degrees were awarded at Saint Martins University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Saint Martins University generally make around $60,864. Saint Martins University graduates carry a median of $22,818 in student loans.
Get the full criminal justice & corrections details for Saint Martins University
Heritage University earned the #9 position for criminal justice & corrections this year. Located in the rural area of Toppenish, Heritage University is a small private not-for-profit university. Heritage University graduates 52% of students within six years. Heritage University awarded about 19 criminal justice & corrections degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice & corrections degree from Heritage University earn around $67,426 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $19,988 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Heritage University
More Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings
View All Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 27 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.