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Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region

2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region

49 Colleges
$31,065 Avg Salary
$18,728 Avg Student Debt

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.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

The Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 49 schools in the Southwest Region to see which associate degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. To come up with a school's ranking, we analyzed numerous factors related to post-graduation wages, the quality of education offered by the school, average accumulated student debt, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region

Check out the criminal justice associate degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools

#1

Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX

Our analysis found Wayland Baptist University to be the best school for criminal justice and corrections students who want to pursue a associate degree in the Southwest Region . Located in the town of Plainview, Wayland Baptist University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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#2

South Texas College

McAllen, TX

The excellent associate degree programs at South Texas College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best criminal justice and corrections schools in the Southwest Region . South Texas College is a very large public school located in the city of McAllen.

Criminal Justice majors at South Texas College take out an average of $6,825 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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#3

El Centro College

Dallas, TX

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means El Centro College is a great place for criminal justice and corrections students working on their associate degree. El Centro College is a very large public school located in the large city of Dallas.

The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at El Centro College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $16,446.

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#4

Amarillo College

Amarillo, TX

The excellent associate degree programs at Amarillo College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best criminal justice and corrections schools in the Southwest Region . Located in the city of Amarillo, Amarillo College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Criminal Justice majors at Amarillo College take out an average of $20,507 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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The excellent associate degree programs at University of Phoenix - Arizona helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best criminal justice and corrections schools in the Southwest Region . UOPX - Arizona is a very large private for-profit school located in the large city of Tempe.

After completing their Associate Degree, criminal justice graduates from UOPX - Arizona carry an average student debtload of $25,292. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $193.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Phoenix - Arizona Report

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#6

Lone Star College System

The Woodlands, TX

Lone Star College 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 #6 on the list. Located in the midsize city of The Woodlands, North Harris Montgomery is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at North Harris Montgomery take out while working on their Associate Degree is $16,521.

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With a ranking of #7, McLennan Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for criminal justice and corrections students working on their associate degree. Located in the medium-sized city of Waco, MCC is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

After completing their Associate Degree, criminal justice graduates from MCC carry an average student debtload of $19,686.

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#9

Rio Salado College

Tempe, AZ

Rio Salado College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best associate degree criminal justice and corrections programs. Rio Salado College is a large public school located in the midsize city of Tempe.

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El Paso Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region ranking. El Paso Community College is a very large public school located in the city of El Paso.

After completing their Associate Degree, criminal justice graduates from El Paso Community College carry an average student debtload of $9,028.

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Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges by State

Explore the best criminal justice and corrections colleges for a specific state in the Southwest region.

State Degrees Awarded
Texas 7,644
Arizona 3,363
Oklahoma 655
New Mexico 571

One of 4 majors within the area of study, criminal justice and corrections has other similar majors worth exploring.

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.

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