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2025 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools

316 Colleges in the United States
24,183 Associate Degrees
$34,412 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a associate degree in criminal justice & corrections, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #4 most popular program in the country. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 316 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice & corrections students pursuing a associate degree. Combined, these schools handed out 24,183 associate degrees in criminal justice & corrections to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Criminal Justice & Corrections School for Your Associate Degree

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools Your choice of criminal justice & corrections for getting your associate degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

A school that excels in educating for a particular major and degree level must be a great school overall as well. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of associate graduates during the early years of their career. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their associate degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for criminal justice & corrections students working on their associate degree.

More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Criminal Justice Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Criminal Justice & Corrections in the United States

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools for an Associate in Criminal Justice

1
51 Annual Graduates

Santa Rosa Junior College is a good option for students pursuing an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the midsize city of Santa Rosa, SRJC is a public college with a large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Santa Rosa Junior College

2
66 Annual Graduates
$33,292 Median Starting Salary
$14,153 Median Student Debt

Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is one of the best schools in the country for getting an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the midsize city of Fort Lauderdale, Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the criminal justice program report average early career wages of $33,292.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale

3
Butte College crest
Butte College
Oroville, CA
70 Annual Graduates

Butte College is a good decision for students interested in an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Butte College is a large public college located in the rural area of Oroville.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Butte College

4

Every student pursuing a degree in an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections needs to look into University of Phoenix - Arizona. Located in the large city of Phoenix, UOPX - Arizona is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Criminal Justice & Corrections associate degree recipients from University of Phoenix - Arizona earn a boost of about $6,741 above the typical income of criminal justice & corrections majors.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from University of Phoenix - Arizona

5
SWC Chula Vista crest
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, CA

SWC Chula Vista is a large public college located in the city of Chula Vista.

Students who graduate with their associate from the criminal justice program report average early career wages of $30,983.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Southwestern College

6

Columbia Southern University is a large private for-profit university located in the fringe town of Orange Beach.

Criminal Justice & Corrections associate degree recipients from Columbia Southern University earn a boost of approximately $23,829 above the average income of criminal justice & corrections graduates.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Columbia Southern University

7

Gateway Technical College is a fairly large public college located in the city of Kenosha.

Criminal Justice & Corrections associate degree recipients from Gateway Technical College receive an earnings boost of about $4,469 above the average earnings of criminal justice & corrections graduates.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Gateway Technical College

8
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, IN

Ivy Tech Community College is a fairly large public college located in the city of Indianapolis.

Soon after graduating, criminal justice associate recipients usually earn around $34,299 in their early careers.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Ivy Tech Community College

9
Moreno Valley College crest
Moreno Valley College
Moreno Valley, CA
38 Annual Graduates

Moreno Valley College is a fairly large public college located in the suburb of Moreno Valley.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Moreno Valley College

10
Purdue University Global crest
Purdue University Global
West Lafayette, IN

Purdue University Global is a fairly large public university located in the city of West Lafayette.

Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their associate degree from Purdue University Global make $16,469 more than the standard criminal justice graduate.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Purdue University Global

11

ATCC is a small public college located in the town of Alexandria.

Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their associate degree from Alexandria Technical & Community College receive $12,099 more than the standard criminal justice student.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Alexandria Technical & Community College

12

American Military University is a fairly large private for-profit university located in the town of Charles Town.

Associate recipients from the criminal justice & corrections program at American Public University System earn $12,566 more than the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from American Public University System

13

Located in the large city of Las Vegas, CSN is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make an average of $26,301 for their early career.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from College of Southern Nevada

14

SNHU is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the midsize suburb of Manchester.

Associate recipients from the criminal justice & corrections major at Southern New Hampshire University get $8,545 above the standard graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Southern New Hampshire University

15
Century College crest
Century College
White Bear Lake, MN

Century College is a moderately-sized public college located in the large suburb of White Bear Lake.

Criminal Justice & Corrections associate degree recipients from Century College receive an earnings boost of about $19,762 over the typical income of criminal justice & corrections majors.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Century College

16
36 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Ogden, WSU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Weber State University

17

Located in the medium-sized city of Modesto, MJC is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Associate graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make an average of $28,102 for their early career.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Modesto Junior College

18
Monroe College crest
Monroe College
Bronx, NY
109 Annual Graduates
$24,567 Median Starting Salary
$11,417 Median Student Debt

Monroe College is a medium-sized private for-profit college located in the city of Bronx.

Students who graduate with their associate from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career earnings of $24,567.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Monroe College

19

Located in the midsize suburb of Appleton, FVTC is a public college with a large student population.

Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their associate degree from Fox Valley Technical College receive $5,159 more than the typical criminal justice student.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Fox Valley Technical College

20
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA

Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Lynchburg.

Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their associate degree from Liberty University make $8,875 more than the standard criminal justice graduate.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Liberty University

21
College of the Desert crest
College of the Desert
Palm Desert, CA

Located in the city of Palm Desert, College of the Desert is a public college with a large student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the criminal justice program report average early career wages of $32,482.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from College of the Desert

22
Yuba College crest
Yuba College
Marysville, CA
98 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Marysville, Yuba College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Yuba College

23
Lake Superior State University crest
Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste Marie, MI

Located in the town of Sault Ste Marie, Lake Superior State University is a public university with a small student population.

Associate recipients from the criminal justice & corrections major at Lake Superior State University earn $10,223 more than the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Lake Superior State University

24

HCC is a very large public college located in the city of Tampa.

Soon after graduation, criminal justice associate recipients generally make around $33,013 in their early careers.

More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Hillsborough Community College

25
East Los Angeles College crest
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park, CA
228 Annual Graduates

East Los Angeles College is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Monterey Park.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from East Los Angeles College

Rest of the Top Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools

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29
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI
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31
32

33
Sacramento City crest
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, CA

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39
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41

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43
BC crest
Broward College
Fort Lauderdale, FL
44
45
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, FL
46
St. Leo University crest
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo, FL
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48
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50
Blinn College crest
Blinn College
Brenham, TX

Additional Award Winners

This section represents the rest of the colleges awarded a Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 20% of the 316 different United States criminal justice & corrections schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Victor Valley College Victorville, CA
52 Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA
53 Western Technical College La Crosse, WI
54 Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay, WI
55 Blackhawk Technical College Janesville, WI
56 Suffolk County Community College Selden, NY
57 Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL
58 Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI
59 Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire, WI
60 Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee, WI
61 Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA
62 St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FL
63 Vincennes University Vincennes, IN

Honorable Mentions

Here are some additional great schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections students that almost earned our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
64 Hudson Valley Community College Troy, NY
65 Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL
66 San Diego Miramar College San Diego, CA
67 North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park, MN
68 Rasmussen University - Florida Ocala, FL
69 Lamar Institute of Technology Beaumont, TX
70 Miami Dade College Miami, FL
71 North Central State College Mansfield, OH
72 Nassau Community College Garden City, NY
73 Middlesex County College Edison, NJ
74 Sinclair Community College Dayton, OH
75 Normandale Community College Bloomington, MN
76 Yavapai College Prescott, AZ
77 Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg, NJ
78 Oakland Community College Auburn Hills, MI
79 Alvin Community College Alvin, TX
80 Delta College University Center, MI
81 Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City, IA
82 University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, AR
83 Mid-State Technical College Wisconsin Rapids, WI
84 Missouri Southern State University Joplin, MO
85 McLennan Community College Waco, TX
86 College of Southern Idaho Twin Falls, ID
87 Central Texas College Killeen, TX
88 Essex County College Newark, NJ
89 Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg, PA
90 Quincy College Quincy, MA
91 Utah Valley University Orem, UT
92 Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College Rice Lake, WI
93 Phoenix College Phoenix, AZ
94 Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls, SD
95 Lackawanna College Scranton, PA
96 Berkeley College - Woodland Park Woodland Park, NJ
97 Rasmussen University - Illinois Rockford, IL
98 Gavilan College Gilroy, CA
99 Stark State College North Canton, OH
100 Amarillo College Amarillo, TX
101 Delaware Technical Community College - Terry Dover, DE
102 Pasadena City College Pasadena, CA
103 Montgomery County Community College Blue Bell, PA
104 Atlantic Cape Community College Mays Landing, NJ
105 Wor-Wic Community College Salisbury, MD

Criminal Justice & Corrections by Region

View the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

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Criminal Justice & Corrections is one of 4 different types of Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting programs to choose from.

Criminal Justice Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Criminal Justice 8,845
Criminal Justice Studies 6,490
Criminal Justice & Police Science 6,379
Other Corrections & Criminal Justice 1,191
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General 816
Corrections 411
Law Enforcement Investigation & Interviewing 27
Juvenile Corrections 7
Securities Services Administration/Management 5
Protective Services Operations 5

Majors Similar to Criminal Justice

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fire Protection 3,939
Security Science and Technology 856
Homeland Security 402
Other Homeland Security 98

Notes and References

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