Best colleges for criminal justice in Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire ranks first in Wisconsin for criminal justice value (#64 nationally, value score 68.4): graduates earn $58,762 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $16,133 a year.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 7 Wisconsin colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026
Best criminal justice colleges in Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire ranks first in Wisconsin for criminal justice value (#64 nationally, value score 68.4): graduates earn $58,762 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $16,133 a year. 7 Wisconsin colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $58,489 and the average net price is $16,133 a year.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025
What the data shows
Key findings
- 7 Wisconsin colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $58,489 and the average net price is $16,133 a year.
- The highest criminal justice earnings in the state are at Carthage College ($60,633), ranked #4 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
- The lowest average net price among them is at University of Wisconsin-Parkside: $11,233 a year.
- Median earnings
- $58,489
- National: $55,481
- Median net price
- $16,133
- National: $16,222
- Median federal debt
- $20,500
- criminal justice graduates
- Public colleges
- 5 of 7
- in this list
7 colleges
The Wisconsin 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.
- Rank in Wisconsin 1
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Eau Claire, WI · Public · #64 nationally
68.4Value- Earnings
- $58,762
- Net price
- $16,133
- Federal debt
- $18,523
- Graduation rate
- 62%
- Rank in Wisconsin 2
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
Platteville, WI · Public · #68 nationally
67.6Value- Earnings
- $59,533
- Net price
- $15,451
- Federal debt
- $20,152
- Graduation rate
- 58%
- Rank in Wisconsin 3
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI · Public · #128 nationally
59.2Value- Earnings
- $58,223
- Net price
- $15,625
- Federal debt
- $20,500
- Graduation rate
- 50%
- Earnings
- $60,633
- Net price
- $26,444
- Federal debt
- $23,249
- Graduation rate
- 66%
- Earnings
- $58,489
- Net price
- $16,492
- Federal debt
- $22,564
- Graduation rate
- 47%
- Earnings
- $54,156
- Net price
- $11,233
- Federal debt
- $19,000
- Graduation rate
- 41%
- Rank in Wisconsin 7
Concordia University-Wisconsin
Mequon, WI · Private nonprofit · #258 nationally
41.0Value- Earnings
- $56,188
- Net price
- $29,239
- Federal debt
- $26,000
- Graduation rate
- 67%
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 Wisconsin
What are the best colleges for criminal justice in Wisconsin?
By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Wisconsin colleges for criminal justice are University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (value score 68.4), University of Wisconsin-Platteville (value score 67.6) and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (value score 59.2). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.
Which Wisconsin college has the highest earnings for criminal justice graduates?
Carthage College: its criminal justice graduates have median earnings of $60,633 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
What is the most affordable criminal justice college in Wisconsin on this list?
University of Wisconsin-Parkside has the lowest average net price of the ranked Wisconsin colleges, $11,233 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.
How many Wisconsin colleges are ranked for criminal justice?
7 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin.