Best colleges for criminal justice in Ohio

    University of Akron ranks first in Ohio for criminal justice value (#93 nationally, value score 63.4): graduates earn $57,319 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $13,072 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 12 Ohio colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best criminal justice colleges in Ohio

    University of Akron ranks first in Ohio for criminal justice value (#93 nationally, value score 63.4): graduates earn $57,319 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $13,072 a year. 12 Ohio colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $53,908 and the average net price is $20,874 a year.

    Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 12 Ohio colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $53,908 and the average net price is $20,874 a year.
    • The highest criminal justice earnings in the state are at Tiffin University ($66,059), ranked #3 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at Youngstown State University: $9,161 a year.
    Median earnings
    $53,908
    National: $55,481
    Median net price
    $20,874
    National: $16,222
    Median federal debt
    $21,780
    criminal justice graduates
    Public colleges
    7 of 12
    in this list

    12 colleges

    The Ohio ranking

    Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    1. Rank in Ohio 1

      University of Akron

      Akron, OH · Public · #93 nationally

      63.4Value
      Earnings
      $57,319
      Net price
      $13,072
      Federal debt
      $19,375
      Graduation rate
      53%
    2. Rank in Ohio 2

      University of Dayton

      Dayton, OH · Private nonprofit · #144 nationally

      57.6Value
      Earnings
      $60,583
      Net price
      $30,366
      Federal debt
      $23,000
      Graduation rate
      80%
    3. Rank in Ohio 3

      Tiffin University

      Tiffin, OH · Private nonprofit · #161 nationally

      54.5Value
      Earnings
      $66,059
      Net price
      $26,131
      Federal debt
      $24,170
      Graduation rate
      42%
    4. Rank in Ohio 4

      Youngstown State University

      Youngstown, OH · Public · #165 nationally

      54.3Value
      Earnings
      $52,574
      Net price
      $9,161
      Federal debt
      $19,500
      Graduation rate
      53%
    5. Rank in Ohio 5

      Xavier University-Ohio

      Cincinnati, OH · Private nonprofit · #181 nationally

      52.0Value
      Earnings
      $60,615
      Net price
      $31,905
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      71%
    6. Rank in Ohio 6

      University of Toledo

      Toledo, OH · Public · #197 nationally

      49.8Value
      Earnings
      $53,585
      Net price
      $16,406
      Federal debt
      $19,250
      Graduation rate
      58%
    7. Rank in Ohio 7

      University of Cincinnati

      Cincinnati, OH · Public · #217 nationally

      47.3Value
      Earnings
      $54,231
      Net price
      $24,917
      Federal debt
      $19,500
      Graduation rate
      75%
    8. Rank in Ohio 8

      Franklin University-Ohio

      Columbus, OH · Private nonprofit · #241 nationally

      42.9Value
      Earnings
      $58,747
      Net price
      $28,451
      Federal debt
      $20,800
      Graduation rate
      21%
    9. Rank in Ohio 9

      Bowling Green State University

      Bowling Green, OH · Public · #294 nationally

      36.2Value
      Earnings
      $52,068
      Net price
      $21,453
      Federal debt
      $23,250
      Graduation rate
      66%
    10. Rank in Ohio 10

      Muskingum University

      New Concord, OH · Private nonprofit · #325 nationally

      29.4Value
      Earnings
      $51,445
      Net price
      $19,145
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      53%
    11. Rank in Ohio 11

      Central State University

      Wilberforce, OH · Public · #337 nationally

      27.0Value
      Earnings
      $46,914
      Net price
      $13,307
      Federal debt
      $20,750
      Graduation rate
      21%
    12. Rank in Ohio 12

      Kent State University at Kent

      Kent, OH · Public · #351 nationally

      24.1Value
      Earnings
      $48,569
      Net price
      $20,294
      Federal debt
      $22,759
      Graduation rate
      51%

    Method: the same value score as the national criminal justice ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.

    Questions about criminal justice colleges in Ohio

    What are the best colleges for criminal justice in Ohio?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Ohio colleges for criminal justice are University of Akron (value score 63.4), University of Dayton (value score 57.6) and Tiffin University (value score 54.5). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which Ohio college has the highest earnings for criminal justice graduates?

    Tiffin University: its criminal justice graduates have median earnings of $66,059 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable criminal justice college in Ohio on this list?

    Youngstown State University has the lowest average net price of the ranked Ohio colleges, $9,161 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many Ohio colleges are ranked for criminal justice?

    12 Ohio colleges have a criminal justice bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within Ohio.