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2024 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Pennsylvania

48 Colleges in Pennsylvania
3,466 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$34,266 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in criminal justice & corrections, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #7 most popular program in the country. 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 48 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,466 degrees in criminal justice & corrections to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Criminal Justice & Corrections School

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Pennsylvania The criminal justice program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for criminal justice & corrections schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings by 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 in Pennsylvania list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections in Pennsylvania

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the criminal justice degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Pennsylvania Schools in Criminal Justice

1
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
217 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
6.0% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections has to take a look at Temple University. Temple is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #147 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Temple is a great university overall.

There were about 217 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program report average early career earnings of $34,097.

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

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
172 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
2.9% Growth in Graduates

Every student who is interested in criminal justice & corrections needs to check out West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Located in the suburb of West Chester, WCUPA is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #241 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WCUPA is a great university overall.

There were approximately 172 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at WCUPA in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections program at West Chester University of Pennsylvania get $2,489 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from West Chester University of Pennsylvania

3
RMU crest
Robert Morris University
Moon Township, PA

It's difficult to beat Robert Morris University if you wish to pursue a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the suburb of Moon Township, RMU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #853 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means RMU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 25 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at RMU in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Robert Morris University receive $22,929 more than the standard criminal justice graduate.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Robert Morris University

4
DeSales crest
DeSales University
Center Valley, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
64 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
3.1% Growth in Graduates

DeSales University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in criminal justice & corrections. DeSales is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Center Valley. A Best Colleges rank of #479 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means DeSales is a great university overall.

There were roughly 64 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at DeSales in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make an average of $33,883 in the first couple years of working.

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

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$31,986 Median Starting Salary

Pitt is a very large public university located in the city of Pittsburgh. A Best Colleges rank of #79 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Pitt is a great university overall.

There were roughly 48 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Pitt in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn an average of $31,986 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
139 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$29,293 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of California, Cal U is a public university with a medium-sized student population.

There were approximately 139 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Cal U in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program report average early career earnings of $29,293.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from California University of Pennsylvania

6
Widener crest
Widener University
Chester, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$37,102 Median Starting Salary
$27,000 Median Student Debt

Located in the suburb of Chester, Widener is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #275 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Widener is a great university overall.

There were approximately 16 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Widener in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Widener University earn $2,836 more than the average criminal justice student.

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

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
85 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$42,063 Median Starting Salary

Located in the fringe town of Shippensburg, Ship is a public university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #704 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Ship is a great university overall.

There were approximately 85 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Ship in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections program at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania get $7,797 above the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
93 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$36,854 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Bloomsburg, Bloomsburg is a public university with a moderately-sized student population.

There were approximately 93 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Bloomsburg in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania earn $2,588 more than the standard criminal justice graduate.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

8
La Salle crest
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
20.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Philadelphia, La Salle is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #486 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means La Salle is a great university overall.

There were about 48 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at La Salle in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections degree program at La Salle University earn $18,445 above the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from La Salle University

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
New York 333 8,021
Maryland 279 944
New Jersey 273 2,955
District of Columbia 188 335
Delaware 175 280

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 Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Criminal Justice Studies 1,886
Criminal Justice 945
Criminal Justice & Police Science 357
Other Corrections & Criminal Justice 164
Corrections 56
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General 22
Securities Services Administration/Management 21
Law Enforcement Investigation & Interviewing 8
Juvenile Corrections 7

View All Criminal Justice Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Homeland Security 430
Security Science and Technology 338
Other Homeland Security 77
Fire Protection 29

View All Criminal Justice Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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