2026 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Kansas
Criminal Justice & Corrections degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their criminal justice & corrections programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 34 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice & corrections students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections in Kansas
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the criminal justice & corrections degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Criminal Justice & Corrections
Our analysis ranked Pittsburg State University the best school in the country for a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Set in the town of Pittsburg, Pittsburg State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Roughly 51% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 24 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Pittsburg State University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice & corrections degree from Pittsburg State University earn around $50,003 in the first couple years of their career. Pittsburg State University graduates carry a median of $24,843 in student loans.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Pittsburg State University
Students looking for a strong criminal justice & corrections program will find one at Washburn University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Topeka, Washburn University is a moderately-sized public university. Washburn University graduates 44% of students within six years. About 24 criminal justice & corrections degrees were awarded at Washburn University in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminal justice & corrections degree from Washburn University earn around $40,052 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $20,822.
See the full criminal justice & corrections program report for Washburn University
A rank of #3 makes Southwestern College one of the top schools for criminal justice & corrections. This small private not-for-profit university is located in the town of Winfield. Roughly 36% of students complete a degree within six years here. Southwestern College awarded about 28 criminal justice & corrections degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Southwestern College generally make around $60,820. Students borrow a median of $26,874 to complete this degree.
Get the full criminal justice & corrections details for Southwestern College
Students looking for a strong criminal justice & corrections program will find one at Fort Hays State University, which ranked #4. This large public university is located in the town of Hays. Roughly 46% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 43 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Fort Hays State University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the criminal justice & corrections program make about $42,428 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $28,750.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Fort Hays State University
Johnson County Community College is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the city of Overland Park, Johnson County Community College is a very large public institution. Johnson County Community College awarded about 60 criminal justice & corrections degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the criminal justice & corrections program make about $55,171 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $20,106.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Johnson County Community College
Friends University placed #6 among the best criminal justice & corrections schools. Located in the city of Wichita, Friends University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Friends University graduates 43% of students within six years. About 13 criminal justice & corrections degrees were awarded at Friends University in the most recent year. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Friends University earn a median of $34,522 early in their careers. Friends University graduates carry a median of $29,721 in student loans.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Friends University
Wichita State University landed the #7 spot for criminal justice & corrections this year. Located in the city of Wichita, Wichita State University is a large public university. The six-year graduation rate is 51%. About 84 criminal justice & corrections degrees were awarded at Wichita State University in the most recent year. Graduates of the criminal justice & corrections program make about $44,013 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
See the full criminal justice & corrections program report for Wichita State University
Kansas Wesleyan University earned the #8 position for criminal justice & corrections this year. Located in the town of Salina, Kansas Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit university. About 49% of students finish within six years. About 14 criminal justice & corrections degrees were awarded at Kansas Wesleyan University in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminal justice & corrections degree from Kansas Wesleyan University earn around $37,301 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $24,330 to complete this degree.
Get the full criminal justice & corrections details for Kansas Wesleyan University
Butler Community College came in at #9 for criminal justice & corrections this year. Located in the town of El Dorado, Butler Community College is a moderately-sized public university. About 18 criminal justice & corrections degrees were awarded at Butler Community College in the most recent year. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Butler Community College earn a median of $39,404 early in their careers. Butler Community College graduates carry a median of $16,670 in student loans.
Read more about the criminal justice & corrections program at Butler Community College
Bethany College Kansas placed #10 among the best criminal justice & corrections schools. Bethany College Kansas is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Lindsborg. About 36% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 13 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Bethany College Kansas in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice & corrections degree from Bethany College Kansas earn around $29,106 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $24,438 to complete this degree.
See the full criminal justice & corrections program report for Bethany College Kansas
Emporia State University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best criminal justice & corrections schools. Located in the town of Emporia, Emporia State University is a moderately-sized public university. Emporia State University graduates 56% of students within six years. Emporia State University awarded about 13 criminal justice & corrections degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the criminal justice & corrections program make about $35,970 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $23,480 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Emporia State University
Sterling College Kansas placed #12 among the best criminal justice & corrections schools. Sterling College Kansas is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Sterling. Roughly 41% of students complete a degree within six years here. Sterling College Kansas awarded about 10 criminal justice & corrections degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice & corrections degree from Sterling College Kansas earn around $30,086 in the first couple years of their career. Sterling College Kansas graduates carry a median of $27,250 in student loans.
See the full criminal justice & corrections program report for Sterling College Kansas
Central Christian College Of Kansas came in at #13 for criminal justice & corrections this year. Set in the town of McPherson, Central Christian College Of Kansas is a small private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 26%. About 18 criminal justice & corrections degrees were awarded at Central Christian College Of Kansas in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminal justice & corrections degree from Central Christian College Of Kansas earn around $55,453 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $36,076.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Central Christian College Of Kansas
More Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 34 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.
