2021 Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Colleges for Non-Traditional Students
Finding the Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools for Non-Traditional Students
In 2018-2019, 60,085 people earned their bachelor's in homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting, making the major the #11 most popular in the United States.
For this year's Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Colleges for Non-Traditional Students ranking, we looked at 459 colleges that offer a bachelor's in homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting programs as well as strong support for students classified as non-traditional.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting program at the school, affordability, and presence of non-traditional students. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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More Ways to Rank Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools for Non-Traditional Students list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
2021 Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools for Non-Traditional Students in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Colleges for Non-Traditional Students.
Top 25 Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Schools for Non-Traditional Students
Union Institute & University tops the 2021 list of our schools in the United States that are best for non-traditional homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting students. Located in the city of Cincinnati, Union is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population. Union also took the #1 spot in our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting rankings.
The student loan default rate at Union is lower than is typical, just 5.5% of students default in three years. 638 of Union students are exclusively distance learners. About 464 of the students at Union are attending part time. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at Union Institute & University Report
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University of New Haven earned the #2 spot in our 2021 rankings. University of New Haven is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of West Haven. As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of New Haven, the school also landed the #2 rank in our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting ranking.
About 4.7% of University of New Haven students default on their loans in three years, which is lower than average. There are approximately 1,053 students at University of New Haven that take at least one class online. 960 students are part time. University of New Haven does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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Our rankings recognize John Jay College of Criminal Justice as the #3 school in this year's rankings. Located in the city of New York, John Jay is a public college with a fairly large student population. In addition to being on our best for non-traditional students list, John Jay has also earned the #4 rank in our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting ranking.
About 7.0% of John Jay students default on their loans in three years, which is lower than average. There are approximately 3,927 students at John Jay that take at least one class online. There are roughly 4,266 part time students in attendance at John Jay. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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The #4 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Bethel University. Bethel is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of McKenzie. Bethel also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list. It's in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
2,438 students at Bethel are exclusively online. 1,852 students are part time. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at Bethel University Report
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American Public University System comes in at #5 in this year's ranking. Located in the fringe town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit school with a very large student population. On top of its placing in our non-traditional rankings, American Military University also did well on our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list. It's in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
All 46,088 students take classes exclusively online at American Military University. 43,358 of American Military University students are attending part time. American Military University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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Our rankings recognize Central Christian College of Kansas as the #6 school in this year's rankings. Central Christian College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of McPherson. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Central Christian College also is in the top 10% of our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting ranking.
376 of Central Christian College students are exclusively distance learners. There are roughly 84 part time students in attendance at Central Christian College. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at Central Christian College of Kansas Report
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Neumann University earned the #7 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the large suburb of Aston, Neumann is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. Neumann excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list.
Approximately 384 students take at least one class online at Neumann. 1,011 of Neumann students are attending part time. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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Our rankings recognize George Mason University as the #8 school in this year's rankings. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public school with a very large student population. GMU also took the #3 spot in our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting rankings.
About 2.1% of GMU students default on their loans in three years, which is lower than average. There are approximately 10,589 students at GMU that take at least one class online. 11,606 students are part time. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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Excelsior College comes in at #9 in this year's ranking. Excelsior College is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Albany.
The student loan default rate at Excelsior College is lower than is typical, just 4.3% of students default in three years. All 30,008 students take classes exclusively online at Excelsior College. All of Excelsior College students are attending part time. Excelsior College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at Excelsior College Report
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The #10 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Hilbert College. Hilbert College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Hamburg. Hilbert College excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list.
About 6.6% of Hilbert College students default on their loans in three years, which is lower than average. There are approximately 117 students at Hilbert College that take at least one class online. 47 of Hilbert College students are attending part time. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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Western Illinois University landed the #11 spot in our 2021 best homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting schools for non-traditional students. WIU is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Macomb. WIU excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list.
There are approximately 2,495 students at WIU that take at least one class online. About 1,724 of the students at WIU are attending part time. WIU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at Western Illinois University Report
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New Jersey City University landed the #12 spot in our 2021 best homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting schools for non-traditional students. NJCU is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Jersey City. On top of its placing in our non-traditional rankings, NJCU also did well on our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list. It's in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
Approximately 1,951 students take at least one class online at NJCU. 2,543 students are part time. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at New Jersey City University Report
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Utica College comes in at #13 in this year's ranking. Utica College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Utica. Utica College also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list. It's in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
The school has a low student loan default rate of 4.3%. 2,414 of Utica College students are exclusively distance learners. There are roughly 2,044 part time students in attendance at Utica College.
Full Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at Utica College Report
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National University landed the #14 spot in our 2021 best homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting schools for non-traditional students. Located in the large city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
The student loan default rate at National University is lower than is typical, just 4.9% of students default in three years. 7,627 of National University students are exclusively distance learners. 8,896 students are part time. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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Our rankings recognize Sam Houston State University as the #15 school in this year's rankings. SHSU is a very large public school located in the distant town of Huntsville. In addition to being on our bet for non-traditional students list, SHSU is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list.
The student loan default rate at SHSU is lower than is typical, just 5.8% of students default in three years. There are approximately 7,776 students at SHSU that take at least one class online. There are roughly 5,468 part time students in attendance at SHSU. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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Eastern Kentucky University comes in at #16 in this year's ranking. Eastern is a fairly large public school located in the distant town of Richmond. In addition to being on our bet for non-traditional students list, Eastern is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list.
3,578 students at Eastern are exclusively online. There are roughly 4,649 part time students in attendance at Eastern. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale earned the #17 spot in our 2021 rankings. Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Fort Lauderdale. On top of its placing in our non-traditional rankings, Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale also did well on our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list. It's in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
About 6.4% of Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale students default on their loans in three years, which is lower than average. 8,544 of Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale students are exclusively distance learners. 6,905 students are part time. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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University of Nebraska at Omaha earned the #18 spot in our 2021 rankings. UNOMAHA is a large public school located in the large city of Omaha. In addition to being on our bet for non-traditional students list, UNOMAHA is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list.
About 6.2% of UNOMAHA students default on their loans in three years, which is lower than average. There are approximately 6,224 students at UNOMAHA that take at least one class online. 4,569 students are part time. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at University of Nebraska at Omaha Report
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University of Phoenix - Arizona comes in at #19 in this year's ranking. Located in the large city of Tempe, UOPX - Arizona is a private for-profit school with a very large student population.
94,472 of UOPX - Arizona students are exclusively distance learners. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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The #20 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Virginia Commonwealth University. Located in the medium-sized city of Richmond, VCU is a public school with a very large student population. As a testament to the quality of education offered at VCU, the school also landed the #7 rank in our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting ranking.
The student loan default rate at VCU is lower than is typical, just 4.1% of students default in three years. Approximately 8,072 students take at least one class online at VCU. About 5,396 of the students at VCU are attending part time. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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Thomas Edison State University comes in at #21 in this year's ranking. TESU is a large public school located in the small city of Trenton.
About 7.1% of TESU students default on their loans in three years, which is lower than average. 10,836 of TESU students are exclusively distance learners. 10,836 of TESU students are attending part time. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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Saint Leo University comes in at #22 in this year's ranking. St. Leo University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Leo. St. Leo University excels when it comes to major quality. It's ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting list.
About 7.3% of St. Leo University students default on their loans in three years, which is lower than average. 7,218 students at St. Leo University are exclusively online. About 2,641 of the students at St. Leo University are attending part time. St. Leo University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at Saint Leo University Report
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The #23 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Tiffin University. Located in the town of Tiffin, Tiffin University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
1,222 of Tiffin University students are exclusively distance learners. 1,185 students are part time. Tiffin University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting at Tiffin University Report
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Rowan University earned the #24 spot in our 2021 rankings. Located in the suburb of Glassboro, Rowan is a public school with a large student population. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Rowan also is in the top 5% of our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting ranking.
The school has a low student loan default rate of 5.6%. There are approximately 4,688 students at Rowan that take at least one class online. About 3,804 of the students at Rowan are attending part time. Rowan does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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The #25 spot in this year's ranking belongs to Curry College. Curry is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Milton. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Curry also is in the top 20% of our Best Colleges for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting ranking.
About 6.6% of Curry students default on their loans in three years, which is lower than average. Approximately 158 students take at least one class online at Curry. 535 students are part time. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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Additional Award Winners
This section shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Colleges for Non-Traditional Students badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 459 different United States homeland security, law enforcement and firefighting schools we analyzed.
Rank | College | Location |
---|---|---|
51 | Concordia University, Saint Paul | Saint Paul, MN |
52 | Monroe College | Bronx, NY |
53 | Peru State College | Peru, NE |
54 | Massachusetts Maritime Academy | Buzzards Bay, MA |
55 | Lewis University | Romeoville, IL |
56 | American InterContinental University - Online | Schaumburg, IL |
57 | Point Park University | Pittsburgh, PA |
58 | Siena Heights University | Adrian, MI |
59 | Ferris State University | Big Rapids, MI |
60 | California State University - Sacramento | Sacramento, CA |
61 | Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs, CO |
62 | University of Houston - Downtown | Houston, TX |
63 | California State University - Stanislaus | Turlock, CA |
64 | University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, IL |
65 | Washington State University | Pullman, WA |
66 | Saint Augustine’s University | Raleigh, NC |
67 | Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota | Winona, MN |
68 | National American University - Rapid City | Rapid City, SD |
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for non-traditional students studying Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting that almost earned our Best Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Colleges for Non-Traditional Students award.
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting by Region
View the best for non-traditional students Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting colleges in a specific region near you.
Region |
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Southeast |
New England |
Rocky Mountains |
Plains States |
Middle Atlantic |
Far Western US |
Southwest |
Great Lakes |
More Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Rankings
Non-Traditional Student Rankings in Majors Related to Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Majors to Study
Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Criminal Justice & Corrections | 94,055 |
Fire Protection | 5,830 |
Homeland Security | 5,090 |
Other Homeland Security | 1,608 |
View All Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Related Majors >
Most Popular Majors Related to Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
---|---|
Public Administration & Social Service | 93,881 |
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness Studies | 69,376 |
Legal Professions | 54,849 |
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 2,638 |
View All Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting Related Majors >
Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Cost is for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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 the rest 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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Barry Bahler.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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