# Best colleges for criminal justice

> Criminal justice bachelor's programs ranked by value: graduate earnings against debt, net price and graduation rate. U.S. College Scorecard field-of-study data, data year 2025.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/criminal-justice
- Data (CSV, every ranked college): https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/criminal-justice.csv
- Snapshot updated: November 4, 2026
- Colleges ranked: 379 of 815 with a qualifying program

## Key findings

1. 379 colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $55,481 4 years after graduating, and the average net price is $16,222 a year.
2. Sonoma State University ranks first with a value score of 87.1: graduates earn $66,892 and the average net price is $10,759.
3. The highest earnings are at Calumet College of Saint Joseph ($106,465), which ranks #60 once cost, debt and graduation rate are counted.
4. Public colleges hold 23 of the top 25 places.

## Top 50

Earnings are median annual earnings 4 years after the bachelor's degree; debt is median federal loan debt; net price and graduation rate are college-wide.

| Rank | College | State | Control | Earnings | Debt | Net price | Grad rate | Graduates | Value score |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| 1 | Sonoma State University | CA | Public | $66,892 | $12,500 | $10,759 | 55% | 64 | 87.1 |
| 2 | California State University-East Bay | CA | Public | $64,835 | $13,750 | $6,858 | 49% | 122 | 85.3 |
| 3 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus | WA | Public | $63,311 | $12,083 | $11,900 | 60% | 61 | 84.8 |
| 4 | George Mason University | VA | Public | $69,511 | $19,000 | $14,697 | 66% | 331 | 83.9 |
| 5 | Northeastern University | MA | Private nonprofit | $77,477 | $17,750 | $17,850 | 91% | 72 | 83.2 |
| 6 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | Public | $58,513 | $11,000 | $9,426 | 70% | 328 | 83.2 |
| 7 | San Francisco State University | CA | Public | $63,764 | $15,000 | $9,803 | 50% | 176 | 83.0 |
| 8 | CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice | NY | Public | $59,343 | $9,049 | $1,110 | 54% | 1,363 | 82.9 |
| 9 | University of Illinois at Chicago | IL | Public | $59,295 | $12,000 | $9,540 | 61% | 183 | 82.5 |
| 10 | California State University-Sacramento | CA | Public | $62,583 | $14,000 | $11,186 | 54% | 555 | 82.4 |
| 11 | Southern Utah University | UT | Public | $60,008 | $15,500 | $10,887 | 62% | 58 | 81.0 |
| 12 | Florida State University | FL | Public | $57,417 | $14,250 | $8,605 | 86% | 524 | 80.9 |
| 13 | Minot State University | ND | Public | $67,554 | $16,491 | $11,490 | 45% | 35 | 80.7 |
| 14 | California State University-Fullerton | CA | Public | $57,135 | $12,250 | $5,115 | 68% | 392 | 80.5 |
| 15 | University of Baltimore | MD | Public | $63,032 | — | $6,270 | 45% | 25 | 79.2 |
| 16 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus | CO | Public | $61,192 | $16,500 | $10,217 | 49% | 63 | 77.8 |
| 17 | Weber State University | UT | Public | $62,191 | $19,500 | $10,237 | 50% | 104 | 76.9 |
| 18 | Siena Heights University | MI | Private nonprofit | $72,791 | $18,750 | $18,630 | 59% | 32 | 76.6 |
| 19 | Worcester State University | MA | Public | $65,588 | $22,132 | $13,866 | 57% | 84 | 76.1 |
| 20 | Rutgers University-Newark | NJ | Public | $61,817 | $17,750 | $16,013 | 65% | 156 | 76.0 |
| 21 | Iowa State University | IA | Public | $61,166 | $19,550 | $15,422 | 76% | 113 | 75.9 |
| 22 | San Diego State University | CA | Public | $57,510 | $12,500 | $13,243 | 78% | 547 | 75.4 |
| 23 | Rutgers University-Camden | NJ | Public | $61,817 | $17,750 | $15,732 | 61% | 50 | 75.3 |
| 24 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell | MA | Public | $66,258 | $21,500 | $17,362 | 69% | 178 | 75.0 |
| 25 | Western Illinois University | IL | Public | $63,125 | $22,250 | $10,018 | 49% | 166 | 75.0 |
| 26 | Ferris State University | MI | Public | $60,325 | $18,000 | $8,402 | 44% | 159 | 74.9 |
| 27 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | OK | Public | $61,731 | $20,700 | $15,531 | 75% | 43 | 74.8 |
| 28 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | Public | $59,973 | $18,063 | $14,694 | 67% | 277 | 74.8 |
| 29 | Concordia University-Saint Paul | MN | Private nonprofit | $73,060 | $22,083 | $16,222 | 50% | 27 | 74.7 |
| 30 | Lewis University | IL | Private nonprofit | $62,640 | $14,000 | $17,318 | 57% | 78 | 74.4 |
| 31 | George Washington University | DC | Private nonprofit | $80,070 | $19,500 | $35,760 | 83% | 73 | 74.2 |
| 32 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | MN | Private nonprofit | $79,464 | — | $20,422 | 64% | 20 | 73.8 |
| 33 | Centenary University | NJ | Private nonprofit | $67,181 | $19,255 | $21,655 | 67% | 20 | 73.2 |
| 34 | Portland State University | OR | Public | $58,109 | $18,485 | $8,337 | 53% | 124 | 72.9 |
| 35 | Florida International University | FL | Public | $55,830 | $14,923 | $11,462 | 78% | 458 | 72.9 |
| 36 | Utah Valley University | UT | Public | $68,296 | $15,330 | $17,558 | 47% | 101 | 72.8 |
| 37 | Illinois State University | IL | Public | $62,506 | $19,500 | $17,829 | 67% | 157 | 72.7 |
| 38 | Western Connecticut State University | CT | Public | $66,510 | $19,811 | $16,754 | 51% | 69 | 72.5 |
| 39 | California State University-Los Angeles | CA | Public | $54,695 | $11,000 | $2,385 | 55% | 385 | 72.1 |
| 40 | Michigan State University | MI | Public | $62,715 | $18,823 | $21,322 | 80% | 223 | 72.0 |
| 41 | California State University-Chico | CA | Public | $58,464 | $16,001 | $14,157 | 60% | 123 | 71.8 |
| 42 | California State University-Dominguez Hills | CA | Public | $57,727 | $11,250 | $7,244 | 42% | 199 | 71.8 |
| 43 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina | SC | Public | $65,574 | $21,000 | $22,019 | 79% | 45 | 71.5 |
| 44 | Texas Woman's University | TX | Public | $60,708 | $20,849 | $11,060 | 49% | 29 | 71.3 |
| 45 | Quinnipiac University | CT | Private nonprofit | $79,098 | $23,375 | $41,729 | 79% | 38 | 71.0 |
| 46 | Northern Michigan University | MI | Public | $59,390 | $19,158 | $12,759 | 54% | 60 | 71.0 |
| 47 | Indiana University-Northwest | IN | Public | $58,155 | $15,324 | $5,567 | 36% | 24 | 70.8 |
| 48 | Westfield State University | MA | Public | $67,363 | $21,500 | $16,484 | 49% | 153 | 70.6 |
| 49 | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | Public | $57,754 | $15,970 | $16,003 | 80% | 119 | 70.6 |
| 50 | California State University-Northridge | CA | Public | $54,169 | $12,500 | $6,346 | 57% | 396 | 70.6 |

## Methodology

- **Programs counted.** Bachelor's degrees reported under CIP 43.01 at public and private nonprofit colleges published on CollegesRef. When a college reports more than one qualifying program, its largest one is used.
- **Eligibility.** A college needs at least 20 graduates in the latest award year, reported median earnings 4 years after graduation, and a published average net price and graduation rate. A field is published only when at least 50 colleges qualify.
- **Value score.** Each figure is turned into a 0–100 percentile among ranked colleges (100 is best: highest earnings or graduation rate, lowest net price or debt-to-earnings). The value score is the weighted average: graduate earnings 40%, average net price 25%, debt-to-earnings 20%, graduation rate 15%. If a college reports no debt figure, that weight is shared among the other three.
- **Earnings and debt.** Median annual earnings 4 years after completing the bachelor's degree, for graduates who received federal aid and were working. Debt is the median federal loan amount borrowed at the college by those graduates (College Scorecard field of study).
- **Cost and completion.** Average net price is what aided first-year students pay after grants, for the whole college rather than the major. Graduation rate is the college-wide share finishing within six years (150% of normal time).

## Limits

- **Value, not prestige.** The score rewards high earnings at a low cost. It does not measure research strength, faculty, selectivity or reputation, so famous programs can rank below less-known ones.
- **Earnings lag.** Earnings describe students who graduated several years ago and were measured years later. Today's job market and starting salaries can differ.
- **Suppressed small programs.** The Department of Education withholds figures for small groups of graduates to protect privacy, so many small programs cannot be ranked at all.
- **Federal aid recipients only.** Earnings and debt cover graduates who received federal grants or loans; students who paid without federal aid are not included.

## FAQ

### What is the best college for criminal justice?

On value, Sonoma State University ranks first in this ranking: criminal justice graduates earn a median of $66,892 4 years after graduating, and the average net price is $10,759 a year. "Best" depends on what you need; this ranking weighs earnings against cost, debt and graduation rate.

### What do criminal justice graduates go on to do?

Graduates work in law enforcement, corrections, courts and security, and some continue to law school. The earnings here are medians for graduates who received federal aid, 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

### Why are some well-known criminal justice programs ranked low or missing?

The ranking measures value, not prestige. A college with high earnings but a high net price can rank below a cheaper college with slightly lower earnings. Programs are missing when federal data suppresses their earnings, when they have fewer graduates than the threshold, or when they are reported under a CIP code this ranking does not count.

### Can I see colleges in my state only?

Yes. Use the state filter above the list; ranks stay national so you can see where each college stands overall. You can also filter by public or private and by a maximum net price, or download the full CSV.

### Does the net price shown apply to criminal justice students?

No. Average net price is reported for the whole college, not by major. Your own price depends on your family's finances; each college's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (field of study, cost and completion): https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- CollegesRef methodology: https://www.collegesref.com/methodology

## How to cite

CollegesRef, "Best colleges for criminal justice," value ranking from U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data (data year 2025), updated November 4, 2026. https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/criminal-justice

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Source: CollegesRef, https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/criminal-justice.