Criminal Justice Degree Rankings (2027)
Each ranking scores programs on cost, graduate earnings and four other factors, so you can start with the one that matches your degree, your situation, your specialty or your state, and the method is the same on every list.
Criminal Justice Rankings by Degree Level
- Associate Degrees 683 ranked associate’s programs, led by Alexandria Technical & Community College.
- Best Colleges 745 ranked bachelor’s programs, campus and online, led by California State University-East Bay.
- Online Bachelor’s Degrees 187 ranked online bachelor’s programs priced for an online student from another state, led by Columbia Southern University.
- Master’s Degrees 231 ranked master’s programs priced at the graduate rate a resident pays, led by Salve Regina University.
- Online Master’s Degrees 57 ranked online master’s programs, led by University of Massachusetts-Lowell.
- PhD Programs Research doctorates scored on cost, graduate earnings and four other factors, led by Liberty University.
Criminal Justice Rankings by Student Background
- Military & Veterans 16 associate’s, 27 bachelor’s and 21 master’s programs on the list, led by Columbia Southern University at the bachelor’s level.
- Working Adults 16 associate’s, 34 bachelor’s and 16 master’s programs on the list, led by Columbia Southern University at the bachelor’s level.
- Police Officers 15 associate’s and 18 bachelor’s programs on the list, led by American Public University System at the bachelor’s level.
Criminal Justice Rankings by Program Feature
- Lowest Cost Online Online rates start at $157 a credit at University of Puerto Rico-Carolina for an online student from another state.
- Accelerated Programs 14 bachelor’s and 20 master’s programs on the list, led by California State University-Sacramento at the bachelor’s level.
- No-GRE Master’s 12 master’s programs on the list, led by American Public University System.
Criminal Justice Rankings by Specialization
- Law Enforcement 9 associate’s, 25 bachelor’s and 8 master’s programs on the list, led by University of Massachusetts-Lowell at the bachelor’s level.
- Corrections 6 associate’s, 13 bachelor’s and 5 master’s programs on the list, led by University of Massachusetts-Lowell at the bachelor’s level.
- Homeland Security 16 bachelor’s and 9 master’s programs on the list, led by University of Massachusetts-Lowell at the bachelor’s level.
Criminal Justice Rankings by State
All 46 state rankings, with each state’s program count
Sources for the Rankings
- Awards, charges, completion and online enrollment: the Department of Education's IPEDS data: IPEDS completions and distance education, 2023-24; IPEDS tuition and fees and per-credit charges, 2023-24; IPEDS graduation rates; and IPEDS Outcome Measures and fall 2024 enrollment, from the 2024 provisional release. Programs are counted under the criminal justice codes in the federal CIP 43.01 series.