Best colleges for criminal justice in Texas

    Texas Woman's University ranks first in Texas for criminal justice value (#44 nationally, value score 71.3): graduates earn $60,708 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $11,060 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 32 Texas colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best criminal justice colleges in Texas

    Texas Woman's University ranks first in Texas for criminal justice value (#44 nationally, value score 71.3): graduates earn $60,708 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $11,060 a year. 32 Texas colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $51,391 and the average net price is $13,909 a year.

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

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 32 Texas colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $51,391 and the average net price is $13,909 a year.
    • The highest criminal justice earnings in the state are at Saint Edward's University ($66,986), ranked #2 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at Texas A & M International University: $336 a year.
    Median earnings
    $51,391
    National: $55,481
    Median net price
    $13,909
    National: $16,222
    Median federal debt
    $19,506
    criminal justice graduates
    Public colleges
    26 of 32
    in this list

    32 colleges

    The Texas 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 Texas 1

      Texas Woman's University

      Denton, TX · Public · #44 nationally

      71.3Value
      Earnings
      $60,708
      Net price
      $11,060
      Federal debt
      $20,849
      Graduation rate
      49%
    2. Rank in Texas 2

      Saint Edward's University

      Austin, TX · Private nonprofit · #80 nationally

      65.6Value
      Earnings
      $66,986
      Net price
      $26,034
      Federal debt
      $21,868
      Graduation rate
      57%
    3. Rank in Texas 3

      Stephen F Austin State University

      Nacogdoches, TX · Public · #113 nationally

      61.2Value
      Earnings
      $58,606
      Net price
      $15,928
      Federal debt
      $21,500
      Graduation rate
      55%
    4. Rank in Texas 4

      The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

      Edinburg, TX · Public · #116 nationally

      61.0Value
      Earnings
      $49,979
      Net price
      $4,858
      Federal debt
      $10,831
      Graduation rate
      55%
    5. Rank in Texas 5

      The University of Texas at Arlington

      Arlington, TX · Public · #118 nationally

      60.8Value
      Earnings
      $57,210
      Net price
      $17,040
      Federal debt
      $14,472
      Graduation rate
      51%
    6. Rank in Texas 6

      West Texas A & M University

      Canyon, TX · Public · #119 nationally

      60.5Value
      Earnings
      $58,011
      Net price
      $17,909
      Federal debt
      $15,000
      Graduation rate
      51%
    7. Rank in Texas 7

      University of North Texas

      Denton, TX · Public · #135 nationally

      58.8Value
      Earnings
      $53,453
      Net price
      $15,358
      Federal debt
      $15,500
      Graduation rate
      63%
    8. Rank in Texas 8

      Lamar University

      Beaumont, TX · Public · #152 nationally

      56.1Value
      Earnings
      $54,509
      Net price
      $7,984
      Federal debt
      $19,511
      Graduation rate
      39%
    9. Rank in Texas 9

      The University of Texas at San Antonio

      San Antonio, TX · Public · #163 nationally

      54.4Value
      Earnings
      $51,034
      Net price
      $9,872
      Federal debt
      $16,492
      Graduation rate
      52%
    10. Rank in Texas 10

      Texas A & M International University

      Laredo, TX · Public · #166 nationally

      54.3Value
      Earnings
      $48,833
      Net price
      $336
      Federal debt
      $13,736
      Graduation rate
      49%
    11. Rank in Texas 11

      Texas Christian University

      Fort Worth, TX · Private nonprofit · #186 nationally

      51.2Value
      Earnings
      $56,791
      Net price
      $35,045
      Federal debt
      $20,000
      Graduation rate
      86%
    12. Rank in Texas 12

      Angelo State University

      San Angelo, TX · Public · #188 nationally

      51.1Value
      Earnings
      $54,853
      Net price
      $13,394
      Federal debt
      $20,137
      Graduation rate
      45%
    13. Rank in Texas 13

      University of Houston-Downtown

      Houston, TX · Public · #189 nationally

      51.1Value
      Earnings
      $53,589
      Net price
      $9,828
      Federal debt
      $19,143
      Graduation rate
      30%
    14. Rank in Texas 14

      The University of Texas at El Paso

      El Paso, TX · Public · #199 nationally

      49.8Value
      Earnings
      $47,681
      Net price
      $6,803
      Federal debt
      $15,500
      Graduation rate
      51%
    15. Rank in Texas 15

      Sam Houston State University

      Huntsville, TX · Public · #227 nationally

      46.2Value
      Earnings
      $51,748
      Net price
      $14,788
      Federal debt
      $19,500
      Graduation rate
      56%
    16. Rank in Texas 16

      Texas State University

      San Marcos, TX · Public · #233 nationally

      45.2Value
      Earnings
      $52,447
      Net price
      $16,660
      Federal debt
      $19,118
      Graduation rate
      55%
    17. Rank in Texas 17

      Tarleton State University

      Stephenville, TX · Public · #234 nationally

      44.9Value
      Earnings
      $53,821
      Net price
      $20,525
      Federal debt
      $17,425
      Graduation rate
      49%
    18. Rank in Texas 18

      University of North Texas at Dallas

      Dallas, TX · Public · #244 nationally

      42.8Value
      Earnings
      $49,534
      Net price
      $12,111
      Federal debt
      $16,250
      Graduation rate
      39%
    19. Rank in Texas 19

      The University of Texas at Tyler

      Tyler, TX · Public · #255 nationally

      41.3Value
      Earnings
      $44,607
      Net price
      $11,183
      Federal debt
      $14,000
      Graduation rate
      42%
    20. Rank in Texas 20

      Midwestern State University

      Wichita Falls, TX · Public · #260 nationally

      40.5Value
      Earnings
      $50,888
      Net price
      $11,793
      Federal debt
      $20,674
      Graduation rate
      42%
    21. Rank in Texas 21

      University of the Incarnate Word

      San Antonio, TX · Private nonprofit · #266 nationally

      39.1Value
      Earnings
      $54,097
      Net price
      $17,483
      Federal debt
      $25,999
      Graduation rate
      53%
    22. Rank in Texas 22

      Our Lady of the Lake University

      San Antonio, TX · Private nonprofit · #272 nationally

      38.3Value
      Earnings
      $53,505
      Net price
      $15,176
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      44%
    23. Rank in Texas 23

      Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi

      Corpus Christi, TX · Public · #274 nationally

      38.1Value
      Earnings
      $49,859
      Net price
      $13,843
      Federal debt
      $17,750
      Graduation rate
      38%
    24. Rank in Texas 24

      Texas A & M University-Kingsville

      Kingsville, TX · Public · #276 nationally

      37.5Value
      Earnings
      $49,907
      Net price
      $13,212
      Federal debt
      $20,500
      Graduation rate
      45%
    25. Rank in Texas 25

      Wayland Baptist University

      Plainview, TX · Private nonprofit · #291 nationally

      36.5Value
      Earnings
      $57,805
      Net price
      $23,421
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      20%
    26. Rank in Texas 26

      University of Houston-Victoria

      Victoria, TX · Public · #295 nationally

      35.9Value
      Earnings
      $50,809
      Net price
      $8,115
      Federal debt
      $24,500
      Graduation rate
      22%
    27. Rank in Texas 27

      Texas A & M University-Commerce

      Commerce, TX · Public · #313 nationally

      32.4Value
      Earnings
      $46,596
      Net price
      $13,974
      Federal debt
      $17,625
      Graduation rate
      41%
    28. Rank in Texas 28

      Texas Wesleyan University

      Fort Worth, TX · Private nonprofit · #318 nationally

      30.8Value
      Earnings
      $49,909
      Net price
      $16,168
      Federal debt
      $20,500
      Graduation rate
      38%
    29. Rank in Texas 29

      Prairie View A & M University

      Prairie View, TX · Public · #321 nationally

      30.1Value
      Earnings
      $47,743
      Net price
      $13,638
      Federal debt
      $22,500
      Graduation rate
      46%
    30. Rank in Texas 30

      Texas A&M University-Central Texas

      Killeen, TX · Public · #331 nationally

      28.6Value
      Earnings
      $43,901
      Net price
      $4,107
      Federal debt
      $23,629
      Graduation rate
      33%
    31. Rank in Texas 31

      Sul Ross State University

      Alpine, TX · Public · #343 nationally

      25.3Value
      Earnings
      $42,239
      Net price
      $16,255
      Federal debt
      $15,422
      Graduation rate
      30%
    32. Rank in Texas 32

      Texas Southern University

      Houston, TX · Public · #371 nationally

      15.1Value
      Earnings
      $45,961
      Net price
      $16,494
      Federal debt
      $30,749
      Graduation rate
      24%

    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 Texas

    What are the best colleges for criminal justice in Texas?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Texas colleges for criminal justice are Texas Woman's University (value score 71.3), Saint Edward's University (value score 65.6) and Stephen F Austin State University (value score 61.2). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

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

    Saint Edward's University: its criminal justice graduates have median earnings of $66,986 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

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

    Texas A & M International University has the lowest average net price of the ranked Texas colleges, $336 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many Texas colleges are ranked for criminal justice?

    32 Texas 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 Texas.