2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
Finding the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree School for You
In 2020-2021, 113,121 criminal justice and corrections students received a degree or certificate, making the major the #7 most popular in the country.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
The Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 105 schools in the Southeast Region to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for criminal justice majors pursuing a associate degree.
Top 15% Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Columbia Southern University the best school in the Southeast Region for criminal justice and corrections students working on their associate degree. Columbia Southern University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the town of Orange Beach.
The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Columbia Southern University take out while working on their Associate Degree is $20,619.
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The excellent associate degree programs at Herzing University - Birmingham helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best criminal justice and corrections schools in the Southeast Region . Located in the suburb of Birmingham, Herzing University - Birmingham is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
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The excellent associate degree programs at Herzing University - Kenner helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best criminal justice and corrections schools in the Southeast Region . Located in the city of Kenner, Herzing University - Kenner is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Reinhardt University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the rural area of Waleska, Reinhardt University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Northern Virginia Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, criminal justice majors at Northern Virginia Community College accumulate an average of around $24,116 in student debt.
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Bethel University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the town of McKenzie, Bethel is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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American Public University System did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for criminal justice and corrections students to get a associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. American Military University is a very large private for-profit school located in the town of Charles Town.
The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at American Military University take out while working on their Associate Degree is $23,673.
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John Tyler Community College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree criminal justice and corrections programs. John Tyler Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Chester.
After completing their Associate Degree, criminal justice graduates from John Tyler Community College carry an average student debtload of $15,732.
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Liberty University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Liberty University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Lynchburg.
While working on their Associate Degree, criminal justice majors at Liberty University accumulate an average of around $31,214 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #10, Middle Georgia State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for criminal justice and corrections students working on their associate degree. Middle Georgia State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Macon.
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Rasmussen University - Florida did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for criminal justice and corrections students to get a associate degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Rasmussen University - Florida is a medium-sized private for-profit school located in the city of Ocala.
On average, criminal justice graduates from Rasmussen University - Florida take out $26,807 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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With a ranking of #12, Indian River State College did quite well on this year’s best schools for criminal justice and corrections students working on their associate degree. Indian River State College is a large public school located in the large suburb of Fort Pierce.
Criminal Justice majors at Indian River State College take out an average of $16,907 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
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Tidewater Community College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree criminal justice and corrections programs. Located in the city of Norfolk, Tidewater Community College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
While working on their Associate Degree, criminal justice majors at Tidewater Community College accumulate an average of around $17,437 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #14, Augusta University did quite well on this year’s best schools for criminal justice and corrections students working on their associate degree. Located in the midsize city of Augusta, Augusta University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
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With a ranking of #15, Georgia Military College did quite well on this year’s best schools for criminal justice and corrections students working on their associate degree. Georgia Military College is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Milledgeville.
On average, criminal justice graduates from Georgia Military College take out $17,045 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Request InformationAdditional Noteworthy Schools
Here are some additional great schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections students in the Southeast Region that almost earned our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Greenville Technical College | Greenville, SC |
| 17 | Guilford Technical Community College | Jamestown, NC |
| 18 | Seminole State College of Florida | Sanford, FL |
| 19 | Saint Leo University | Saint Leo, FL |
| 20 | Walters State Community College | Morristown, TN |
| 21 | Daytona State College | Daytona Beach, FL |
Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges by State
Explore the best criminal justice and corrections schools for a specific state in the Southeast region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 2,158 |
| Virginia | 2,948 |
| North Carolina | 2,702 |
| Florida | 4,869 |
| Tennessee | 1,212 |
| Kentucky | 1,015 |
| South Carolina | 993 |
| Louisiana | 972 |
| Arkansas | 665 |
| Alabama | 1,413 |
| Mississippi | 581 |
| West Virginia | 1,320 |
More Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings in the Southeast Region
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.
Majors Similar 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.