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Best Colleges for Criminal Justice

Top criminal justice and criminology programs ranked by graduate earnings, completion rates, and actual cost. Federal data. No paid rankings.

10

Schools in ranking

500

Schools with criminal justice programs in dataset

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How We Rank Criminal Justice Schools

These rankings filter to schools with criminal justice programs, then rank by our 5-component composite score using verified federal data. Rankings use a composite score: graduate earnings (28%), graduation rate (25%), social mobility via Pell Grant share (20%), debt burden (15%), and net cost for low-income students (12%). Where a school has not reported one of these, that component is dropped and the remaining weights are rescaled rather than filled in with an estimate. Only 4-year non-profit schools with sufficient data qualify.

→Earnings: Median annual earnings 10 years after enrollment. Source: College Scorecard.
→Graduation rate: Full-time first-time students completing within 150% of normal time. Source: IPEDS.
→Net price: Average annual cost after all grants and scholarships. Source: IPEDS.
→Social mobility: Share of students receiving Pell Grants, a direct measure of access for low-income students. Source: IPEDS.
→Debt burden: Median federal loan debt at graduation. Source: College Scorecard.

Top 10 Criminal Justice Schools (2026)

Ranked by composite: earnings, graduation rate, social mobility, debt, affordability.

#	School	Accept	Net Price/yr	Grad Rate	Earnings (10yr)
1	Brown University Providence, RI	5.4%	$26,256	96%	$93,487
2	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA	31.3%	$17,453	86%	$90,768
3	Bentley University Waltham, MA	45.1%	$45,802	87%	$120,959
4	California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA	90.5%	$7,064	70%	$62,951
5	University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA	82.5%	$13,898	63%	$78,466
6	Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA	16.4%	$32,519	91%	$103,937
7	CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY	57.1%	$4,082	56%	$56,195
8	California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	91.3%	$4,460	53%	$59,211
9	Albizu University-San Juan San Juan, PR	100%	$9,458	67%	$41,544
10	California State University-Stanislaus Turlock, CA	98.1%	$7,433	53%	$63,188

500 schools with Criminal Justice programs in dataset. Top 10 shown. Data: IPEDS + College Scorecard. Updated annually.

All 500 Colleges in the Dataset

The ranking above shows the top 10 by composite score. Every school in the full dataset is listed here so you can explore beyond the top results.

B

37

Bacone College Bakersfield College Ball State University Barry University Barton College Bates Technical College Bay Path University Bellevue College Bemidji State University Benedict College Benedictine University Bentley University Bethel University Bethune-Cookman University Binghamton University Bismarck State College Blackburn College Bluffton University Bob Jones University Boise State University Boston College Boston University Bowie State University Bowling Green State University-Firelands Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Brazosport College Briar Cliff University Bridgewater State University Brigham Young University-Idaho Brown University Bryant & Stratton College-Buffalo Bryant & Stratton College-Online Bryant & Stratton College-Parma Bryant & Stratton College-Syracuse North Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach Bryant & Stratton College-Wauwatosa Buena Vista University

C

69

Cairn University-Langhorne Caldwell University California Baptist University California Lutheran University California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo California State University-Chico California State University-Dominguez Hills California State University-East Bay California State University-Fresno California State University-Fullerton California State University-Los Angeles California State University-Northridge California State University-San Bernardino California State University-San Marcos California State University-Stanislaus Calumet College of Saint Joseph Cambridge College Cameron University Campbell University Campbellsville University Canisius University Capitol Technology University Caribbean University-Bayamon Caribbean University-Carolina Caribbean University-Vega Baja Carlow University Carolina University Carroll University Carthage College Catawba College Cedarville University Centenary University Central Christian College of Kansas Central Connecticut State University Central Methodist University-College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Central Ohio Technical College Central Washington University Central Wyoming College Centralia College Chadron State College Chaminade University of Honolulu Champlain College Charleston Southern University Charter Oak State College Chestnut Hill College Chicago State University Chipola College Chowan University Citadel Military College of South Carolina City University of Seattle Claflin University Clark Atlanta University Colegio Universitario de San Juan College of Coastal Georgia College of Our Lady of the Elms College of the Ozarks Colorado Christian University Colorado Mesa University Columbus State University Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Concordia University Ann Arbor Concordia University-Nebraska Concordia University-Saint Paul Concordia University-Wisconsin Coppin State University Crafton Hills College Culver-Stockton College Cumberland University CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice

D

10

Dallas Christian College Dalton State College Davenport University Dean College Delaware Valley University DeSales University Dickinson State University Dillard University Dominican University New York Drury University-College of Continuing Professional Studies

E

11

Eastern Arizona College Eastern Kentucky University Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus Eastern Oregon University Elizabeth City State University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide Emmanuel University Eureka College Evangel University-College of Online Learning

G

17

Gannon University Gardner-Webb University Georgia College & State University Georgia Gwinnett College Georgia Highlands College Georgia Military College Georgian Court University Goldey-Beacom College Gordon State College Governors State University Grace Christian University Grace College and Theological Seminary Graceland University-Lamoni Grand View University Greensboro College Greenville University Guilford College

H

17

Hampton University Hannibal-LaGrange University Harris-Stowe State University Hartwick College Hawaii Pacific University Heritage University Herzing University-Akron Herzing University-Brookfield Herzing University-Kenosha Herzing University-New Orleans Herzing University-Orlando High Point University Hilbert College Hood College Hope International University Huntingdon College Husson University

I

12

Illinois State University Immaculata University Indian River State College Indiana Institute of Technology Indiana Institute of Technology-College of Professional Studies Indiana University-East Indiana University-Northwest Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Aguadilla Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Fajardo Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Ponce Inter American University of Puerto Rico-San German

J

4

Jackson State University Jacksonville State University Jarvis Christian University Johnson & Wales University-Providence

K

13

Kean University Keene State College Keiser University-Ft Lauderdale Kennesaw State University Kent State University at Ashtabula Kent State University at East Liverpool Kent State University at Trumbull Kent State University at Tuscarawas Kentucky State University Kentucky Wesleyan College Keuka College King's College Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

N

18

National University Nelson University Nevada State University New England College New Jersey City University New Mexico State University-Main Campus Newberry College Newman University Nichols College North Carolina A & T State University North Carolina Central University North Carolina Wesleyan University Northeastern State University Northwest College Northwest Vista College Northwestern State University of Louisiana Norwich University Nova Southeastern University

O

8

Oak Hills Christian College Ohio Christian University Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Ohio University-Eastern Campus Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Ohio University-Southern Campus Oklahoma Panhandle State University Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City

Q

1

Quincy University

R

16

Radford University Regent University Regis College Reinhardt University Remington College-Shreveport Campus Rhode Island College Rider University Roanoke College Robert Morris University Roberts Wesleyan University Roosevelt University Rosemont College Rowan University Rust College Rutgers University-Camden Rutgers University-Newark

S

45

Sacred Heart University Saginaw Valley State University Saint Ambrose University Saint Edward's University Saint Johns River State College Saint Joseph's College of Maine Saint Leo University Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Saint Peter's University Saint Xavier University Salem State University Salve Regina University Sam Houston State University San Diego State University Seattle University Seminole State College of Florida Shaw University Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shorter University Siena Heights University Simpson College Sinte Gleska University South Carolina State University Southeastern Louisiana University Southeastern Oklahoma State University Southern New Hampshire University Southern University and A & M College Southern University at New Orleans Southwest Baptist University Southwest Minnesota State University St Petersburg College St Philip's College St. John's University-New York St. Mary's University State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota State University of New York at Plattsburgh Stevenson University Stockton University Suffolk University Sul Ross State University SUNY Brockport SUNY Buffalo State University SUNY College of Technology at Alfred SUNY Morrisville SUNY Oneonta

U

54

Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Carolina Campus Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Cupey Campus University at Albany University of Alabama at Birmingham University of Alaska Fairbanks University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff University of Arkansas Grantham University of Arkansas-Fort Smith University of Baltimore University of Bridgeport University of Central Missouri University of Central Oklahoma University of Colorado Colorado Springs University of Connecticut-Avery Point University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus University of Connecticut-Stamford University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus University of Detroit Mercy University of Dubuque University of Florida-Online University of Guam University of Hawaii at Hilo University of Hawaii-West Oahu University of Houston-Downtown University of Houston-Victoria University of Indianapolis University of Louisiana at Monroe University of Louisville University of Maine at Augusta University of Maine at Fort Kent University of Maryland Eastern Shore University of Maryland Global Campus University of Massachusetts-Boston University of Massachusetts-Lowell University of Minnesota-Crookston University of Mount Olive University of Nebraska at Omaha University of Nevada-Las Vegas University of New Hampshire at Manchester University of North Alabama University of North Carolina at Pembroke University of North Florida University of Northern Colorado University of Northwestern Ohio University of Puerto Rico-Carolina University of Saint Francis-Fort Wayne University of the Incarnate Word University of Valley Forge University of Washington-Tacoma Campus University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh University of Wisconsin-Parkside Utah Tech University Utah Valley University Utica University

V

4

Vincennes University Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia State University Virginia University of Lynchburg

Y

2

York College of Pennsylvania York University

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