2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools
Finding the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections School for You
Criminal Justice & Corrections is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 7th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 113,121 degrees and certificates were awarded to students with this major.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools ranking. This report analyzed 998 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the United States
Check out the criminal justice programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 25 Top Schools in Criminal Justice & Corrections
Our 2023 rankings named University of Chicago the best school in the United States for criminal justice and corrections students. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.
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Out of the 998 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Herzing University - Brookfield landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Brookfield, Herzing University - Brookfield is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Herzing University - Brookfield carry an average student debtload of $25,971.
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Out of the 998 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Herzing University - Minneapolis landed the # 3 spot on the list. Herzing University - Minneapolis is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Minneapolis.
While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at Herzing University - Minneapolis accumulate an average of around $25,971 in student debt.
Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Herzing University - Minneapolis Report
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Herzing University - Atlanta. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. Herzing University - Atlanta is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Atlanta.
After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Herzing University - Atlanta carry an average student debtload of $25,850.
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Out of the 998 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of San Diego landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the large city of San Diego, USD is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population.
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Herzing University - Akron did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for criminal justice and corrections students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Akron, Herzing Akron is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Criminal Justice majors at Herzing Akron take out an average of $25,971 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Herzing University - Kenner ranked #7 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. Located in the city of Kenner, Herzing University - Kenner is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Herzing University - Kenner carry an average student debtload of $25,971.
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With a ranking of #8, Herzing University - Kenosha did quite well on this year’s best schools for criminal justice and corrections students. Herzing University - Kenosha is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized suburb of Kenosha.
While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at Herzing University - Kenosha accumulate an average of around $25,971 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #9, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota did quite well on this year’s best schools for criminal justice and corrections students. SMU MN is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Winona.
On average, criminal justice graduates from SMU MN take out $26,225 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Herzing University - Birmingham did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for criminal justice and corrections students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the suburb of Birmingham, Herzing University - Birmingham is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.
While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at Herzing University - Birmingham accumulate an average of around $25,971 in student debt.
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University of Washington - Tacoma Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. Located in the midsize city of Tacoma, UW Tacoma is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
On average, criminal justice graduates from UW Tacoma take out $12,145 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Herzing University - Madison did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for criminal justice and corrections students. It came in at #12 on the list. Herzing University - Madison is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Madison.
Criminal Justice majors at Herzing University - Madison take out an average of $25,971 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Wayland Baptist University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for criminal justice and corrections students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the town of Plainview, Wayland Baptist University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at Wayland Baptist University accumulate an average of around $18,391 in student debt.
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Union Institute & University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools ranking. Union is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Cincinnati.
On average, criminal justice graduates from Union take out $19,801 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Robert Morris University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. Located in the large suburb of Moon Township, RMU is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at RMU take out is $27,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $397, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #16, University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well on this year’s best schools for criminal justice and corrections students. UST MN is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Saint Paul.
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Columbia Southern University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. Columbia Southern University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the town of Orange Beach.
While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at Columbia Southern University accumulate an average of around $24,746 in student debt.
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Reinhardt University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. Located in the rural area of Waleska, Reinhardt University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Reinhardt University take out is $32,500.
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Central Christian College of Kansas ranked #19 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. Located in the town of McPherson, Central Christian College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Central Christian College carry an average student debtload of $31,445.
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University of Oklahoma Norman Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools ranking. University of Oklahoma is a very large public school located in the suburb of Norman.
Criminal Justice majors at University of Oklahoma take out an average of $28,623 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Southwestern College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. SC is a small private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Winfield.
On average, criminal justice graduates from SC take out $22,849 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Herzing University - Winter Park came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools ranking. Herzing University - Winter Park is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Winter Park.
Criminal Justice majors at Herzing University - Winter Park take out an average of $25,971 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Siena Heights University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools ranking. Siena Heights University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Adrian.
The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Siena Heights University take out is $22,801.
Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Siena Heights University Report
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Eastern Gateway Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for criminal justice and corrections students. It came in at #24 on the list. Eastern Gateway Community College is a very large public school located in the small city of Steubenville.
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Remaining Award Winners
This section shows the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 998 different United States criminal justice and corrections schools we analyzed.
Additional Noteworthy Schools
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools award.
Criminal Justice & Corrections by Region
View the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings
Rankings in Majors Related to Criminal Justice
One of 4 majors within the area of study, criminal justice and corrections has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Criminal Justice
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fire Protection | 13,766 |
| Homeland Security | 7,140 |
| Security Science and Technology | 6,888 |
| Other Homeland Security | 1,695 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.