2026 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in South Dakota
Criminal Justice & Corrections is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their criminal justice & corrections programs.
College Factual analyzed 10 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best criminal justice & corrections schools.
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Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections in South Dakota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall criminal justice & corrections education in South Dakota.
Top Schools in Criminal Justice & Corrections
Southeast Technical Institute tops our 2026 ranking of the best criminal justice & corrections schools. Set in the city of Sioux Falls, Southeast Technical Institute is a mid-sized public institution. Southeast Technical Institute awarded about 15 criminal justice & corrections degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the criminal justice & corrections program make about $49,560 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $12,000 to complete this degree.
Get the full criminal justice & corrections details for Southeast Technical Institute
Lake Area Technical Institute is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections, landing the #2 spot this year. This mid-sized public university is located in the town of Watertown. About 18 criminal justice & corrections degrees were awarded at Lake Area Technical Institute in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminal justice & corrections degree from Lake Area Technical Institute earn around $41,230 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $12,000.
Read more about the criminal justice & corrections program at Lake Area Technical Institute
A rank of #3 makes University Of South Dakota one of the top schools for criminal justice & corrections. University Of South Dakota is a large public school located in the town of Vermillion. The six-year graduation rate is 60%. About 42 criminal justice & corrections degrees were awarded at University Of South Dakota in the most recent year. Graduates of the criminal justice & corrections program make about $40,402 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $25,000.
See the full criminal justice & corrections program report for University Of South Dakota
Northern State University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the town of Aberdeen, Northern State University is a moderately-sized public university. The six-year graduation rate is 55%. There were roughly 16 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Northern State University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice & corrections degree from Northern State University earn around $45,824 in the first couple years of their career. Northern State University graduates carry a median of $26,143 in student loans.
Read more about the criminal justice & corrections program at Northern State University
Students looking for a strong criminal justice & corrections program will find one at University Of Sioux Falls, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Sioux Falls, University Of Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit institution. About 62% of students finish within six years. About 18 criminal justice & corrections degrees were awarded at University Of Sioux Falls in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from University Of Sioux Falls generally make around $38,858. Students borrow a median of $26,950 to complete this degree.
Get the full criminal justice & corrections details for University Of Sioux Falls
More Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings
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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 · 10 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.