2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California
Finding the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections School for You
Criminal Justice & Corrections is one of the most popular subjects to study in California. With 13,151 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 8th out of all the majors we track in the state.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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.
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 in California ranking. This report analyzed 66 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California
Check out the criminal justice programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 10 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools
Our analysis found University of San Diego to be the best school for criminal justice and corrections students who want to pursue a degree in California. USD is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the large city of San Diego.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Moreno Valley College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Moreno Valley, Moreno Valley College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at Moreno Valley College accumulate an average of around $19,500 in student debt.
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Out of the 66 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, National University landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of La Jolla, National University is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Criminal Justice majors at National University take out an average of $27,265 in student loans while working on their egree.
Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at National University Report
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Out of the 66 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Napa Valley College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Napa Valley College is a small public school located in the city of Napa.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Napa Valley College
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Santa Rosa Junior College 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 medium-sized city of Santa Rosa, SRJC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from SRJC carry an average student debtload of $13,875.
Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Santa Rosa Junior College Report
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Golden West College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California list. Golden West College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Huntington Beach.
Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Golden West College Report
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California State University - East Bay did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for criminal justice and corrections students. It came in at #8 on the list. Located in the suburb of Hayward, Cal State East Bay is a public school with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at Cal State East Bay accumulate an average of around $15,500 in student debt.
Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at California State University - East Bay Report
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University of Phoenix - California came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California ranking. UOPX - California is a small private for-profit school located in the midsize city of Costa Mesa.
On average, criminal justice graduates from UOPX - California take out $46,951 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $170.
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With a ranking of #10, San Diego State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for criminal justice and corrections students. Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
On average, criminal justice graduates from SDSU take out $13,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $271.
Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at San Diego State University Report
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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 in California award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | California State University - Sacramento | Sacramento, CA |
| 12 | Santa Ana College | Santa Ana, CA |
| 13 | California State University - Chico | Chico, CA |
Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 553 |
| Oregon | 477 |
| Nevada | 684 |
| Hawaii | 173 |
| Alaska | 73 |
More Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings in California
Criminal Justice & Corrections Related Rankings by Major
Criminal Justice & Corrections is one of 4 different types of programs to choose from.
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.
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