2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Finding the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections School for You
With 113,121 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, criminal justice and corrections is the #7 most popular major in the United States.
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. 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.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 152 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Check out the criminal justice programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 15% Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of Chicago the best school in the Great Lakes Region for criminal justice and corrections students. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Herzing University - Brookfield is a great place for criminal justice and corrections students. Herzing University - Brookfield is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Brookfield.
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 152 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Herzing University - Akron landed the # 3 spot on the list. Herzing Akron is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Akron.
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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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Herzing University - Kenosha. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Kenosha, Herzing University - Kenosha is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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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Out of the 152 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Herzing University - Madison landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the city of Madison, Herzing University - Madison is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
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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Union Institute & University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, Union is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly small student population.
On average, criminal justice graduates from Union take out $19,801 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Siena Heights University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the distant town of Adrian, Siena Heights University is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Siena Heights University take out is $22,801.
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With a ranking of #8, Eastern Gateway Community College did quite well on this year’s best schools for criminal justice and corrections students. Located in the small city of Steubenville, Eastern Gateway Community College is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best criminal justice and corrections programs. Located in the small city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
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Western Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. WIU is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Macomb.
While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at WIU accumulate an average of around $25,000 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $218, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Marian University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best criminal justice and corrections programs. Marian is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Fond Du Lac.
Criminal Justice majors at Marian take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Concordia University, Wisconsin ranked #12 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Concordia University, Wisconsin is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Mequon.
After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Concordia University, Wisconsin carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
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Southwest Wisconsin Technical College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best criminal justice and corrections programs. Southwest Tech is a small public school located in the rural area of Fennimore.
After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Southwest Tech carry an average student debtload of $10,000.
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Purdue University Global ranked #14 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the city of Indianapolis, Purdue University Global is a public school with a very large student population.
Criminal Justice majors at Purdue University Global take out an average of $31,610 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Loyola University Chicago ranked #15 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.
The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Loyola Chicago take out is $25,000. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $499, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on this year’s best schools for criminal justice and corrections students. Located in the small city of Oshkosh, UW Oshkosh is a public school with a large student population.
The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at UW Oshkosh take out is $25,869.
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Schoolcraft College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the small city of Livonia, Schoolcraft College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at Schoolcraft College accumulate an average of around $10,376 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #18, Ball State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for criminal justice and corrections students. Ball State is a very large public school located in the small city of Muncie.
After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Ball State carry an average student debtload of $24,000. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $204.
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With a ranking of #19, Michigan State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for criminal justice and corrections students. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public school with a very large student population.
On average, criminal justice graduates from Michigan State take out $25,849 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 $398.
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Lewis University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the large suburb of Romeoville, Lewis is a private not-for-profit school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Lewis take out is $21,500.
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Lakeshore Technical College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the rural area of Cleveland, LTC is a public college with a small student population.
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Madison Area Technical College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in the city of Madison, Madison College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Criminal Justice majors at Madison College take out an average of $16,964 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Here are some additional great schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses | Fort Wayne, IN |
| 24 | Mid-State Technical College | Wisconsin Rapids, WI |
| 25 | University of Wisconsin - Platteville | Platteville, WI |
| 26 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL |
| 27 | Gateway Technical College | Kenosha, WI |
| 28 | University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire | Eau Claire, WI |
| 29 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville, IL |
| 30 | Fox Valley Technical College | Appleton, WI |
Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges by State
Explore the best criminal justice and corrections schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 2,094 |
| Ohio | 2,805 |
| Illinois | 2,483 |
| Indiana | 2,249 |
| Wisconsin | 1,134 |
More Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
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.