2023 Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
14
Ranked Colleges
662
Degrees Awarded
$15,600
Avg Cost*
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Criminal Justice & Police Science is the 74th most popular major in the country with 22,722 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Southwest region, there were 3,470 criminal justice and police science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 662 criminal justice and police science graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,810 and $18,681 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminal justice and police science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality criminal justice and police science programs as well as strong veteran support.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the criminal justice and police science program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate”.
Top 14 Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Austin Community College District. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 84 degrees to qualified associates’s police science students in 2020-2021.
Austin Community College District also took the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 39,896 students enrolled at Austin Community College District, 2,473 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 59 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $735. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Austin Community College District offers credit for military training for eligible students.
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Out of the 14 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, San Antonio College landed the #2 spot on the list. San Antonio College is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 associates’s police science degrees to qualified students.
San Antonio College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 2,054 of the 19,231 students enrolled at San Antonio College were GI Bill® students, of which 1,362 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,249. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at San Antonio College]](/colleges/san-antonio-college/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 14 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, South Texas College landed the #3 spot on the list. South Texas College is a public institution located in McAllen, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree vets studying police science list, South Texas College has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, South Texas College supports 28,233 students, and 532 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 193 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,731. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. South Texas College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full South Texas College Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rio Salado College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate list. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s police science degrees to 54 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rio Salado College, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 335 of the 17,362 students enrolled at Rio Salado College were GI Bill® students, of which 206 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $630. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Rio Salado College]](/colleges/rio-salado-college/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Plains College. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate. South Plains College is located in Levelland, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 associates’s police science degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree vets studying police science list, South Plains College has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 8,880 students enrolled at South Plains College, 284 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 106 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,097. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at South Plains College]](/colleges/south-plains-college/student-life/veterans/)
Houston Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate ranking. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s police science degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
Houston Community College also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #10.Among the 48,329 students enrolled at Houston Community College, 1,421 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 783 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,632. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Houston Community College]](/colleges/houston-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Amarillo College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate ranking. Amarillo College is a public institution located in Amarillo, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 associates’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Amarillo College also took the #5 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 260 of the 9,079 students enrolled at Amarillo College were GI Bill® students, of which 141 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,795. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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Rogers State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate ranking. Rogers State University is a small public school situated in Claremore, Oklahoma. It awarded 4 associates’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at RSU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 3,400 students enrolled at RSU, 205 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 73 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,667. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Cochise County Community College District ranked #9 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate list. This small school is located in Sierra Vista, Arizona, and it awarded 38 associates’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.
Cochise College also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11.Our most recent data shows that 351 of the 3,327 students enrolled at Cochise County Community College District were GI Bill® students, of which 214 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,216. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Cochise County Community College District does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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With a ranking of #10, Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate list. OSU-OKC is a small school located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that handed out 46 associates’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.
OSU-OKC also took the #8 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 4,949 students enrolled at OSU-OKC, 54 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 77 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,563. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. OSU-OKC offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at OSU-OKC]](/colleges/oklahoma-state-university-oklahoma-city/student-life/veterans/)
Southwest Texas Junior College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate ranking, coming in at #11. Southwest Texas Junior College is located in Uvalde, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 associates’s police science degrees to qualified students.
Southwest Texas Junior College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Among the 6,480 students enrolled at Southwest Texas Junior College, 100 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 50 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,046. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Southwest Texas Junior College]](/colleges/southwest-texas-junior-college/student-life/veterans/)
McLennan Community College ranked #12 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate list. This medium-sized school is located in Waco, Texas, and it awarded 7 associates’s police science degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region associate degree vets studying police science list, MCC has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 7,742 students enrolled at MCC, 396 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 190 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,484. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
[Read full report on veteran student life at McLennan Community College]](/colleges/mclennan-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Wiley College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate ranking. Wiley College is located in Marshall, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 associates’s police science degrees to qualified students.
Wiley College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Among the 615 students enrolled at Wiley College, 23 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,709. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Wiley College offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Wiley College]](/colleges/wiley-college/student-life/veterans/)
Trinity Valley Community College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Police Science for an Associate ranking. Located in Athens, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified associates’s police science students in 2020-2021.
TVCC also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Associate Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #14.Among the 5,600 students enrolled at Trinity Valley Community College, 116 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 54 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,871. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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