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2024 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Pennsylvania

48 Colleges in Pennsylvania
3,431 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$34,788 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in criminal justice & corrections, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #7 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 48 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,431 degrees in criminal justice & corrections to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Criminal Justice & Corrections School

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Pennsylvania The criminal justice program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for criminal justice & corrections schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Criminal Justice
Bachelor's Degrees in Criminal Justice
Master's Degrees in Criminal Justice
Doctor's Degrees in Criminal Justice

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Pennsylvania list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections in Pennsylvania

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the criminal justice degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Pennsylvania Schools in Criminal Justice

1
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
201 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$34,097 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections has to take a look at Temple University. Temple is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Philadelphia. A Best Colleges rank of #147 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Temple is a great university overall.

There were about 201 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program report average early career wages of $34,097.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Temple University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
219 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
21.5% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in criminal justice & corrections has to check out West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Located in the suburb of West Chester, WCUPA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #241 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WCUPA is a great university overall.

There were about 219 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at WCUPA in the most recent data year. After graduation, criminal justice degree recipients generally earn an average of $36,755 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from West Chester University of Pennsylvania

3
RMU crest
Robert Morris University
Moon Township, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$57,195 Median Starting Salary

It's hard to beat Robert Morris University if you wish to pursue a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the suburb of Moon Township, RMU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #853 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means RMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 23 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at RMU in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from Robert Morris University receive an earnings boost of about $22,407 over the typical income of criminal justice & corrections graduates.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Robert Morris University

4
DeSales crest
DeSales University
Center Valley, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$33,883 Median Starting Salary

DeSales University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in criminal justice & corrections. DeSales is a small private not-for-profit university located in the rural area of Center Valley. A Best Colleges rank of #479 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means DeSales is a great university overall.

There were approximately 53 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at DeSales in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make an average of $33,883 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from DeSales University

5
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$31,986 Median Starting Salary

Pitt is a very large public university located in the city of Pittsburgh. A Best Colleges rank of #79 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Pitt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 31 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Pitt in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn about $31,986 for their early career.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

6

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
48.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Chester, Widener is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #275 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Widener is a great university overall.

There were roughly 31 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Widener in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections degree program at Widener University earn $2,314 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Widener University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
104 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
18.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the fringe town of Shippensburg, Ship is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #704 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Ship is a great university overall.

There were roughly 104 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Ship in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections major at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania earn $7,274 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

8
8
La Salle crest
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
11.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Philadelphia, La Salle is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #486 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means La Salle is a great university overall.

There were roughly 54 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at La Salle in the most recent year we have data available. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from La Salle University receive an earnings boost of around $17,922 above the typical income of criminal justice & corrections majors.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from La Salle University

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

StateCollegesDegrees Awarded
New York3338,021
Maryland279944
New Jersey2732,955
District of Columbia188335
Delaware175280

View All Rankings >

One of 4 majors within the Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting area of study, Criminal Justice & Corrections has other similar majors worth exploring.

Criminal Justice Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
Criminal Justice Studies1,837
Criminal Justice999
Criminal Justice & Police Science325
Other Corrections & Criminal Justice168
Corrections39
Securities Services Administration/Management29
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General15
Law Enforcement Investigation & Interviewing12
Juvenile Corrections7

View All Criminal Justice Concentrations >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Security Science and Technology452
Homeland Security309
Other Homeland Security109
Fire Protection49

View All Criminal Justice Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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