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2025 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina

12 Colleges in North Carolina
600 Associate Degrees
$33,355 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 12 schools in North Carolina to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice & corrections students pursuing a associate degree. Combined, these schools handed out 600 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 in North Carolina 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 account for this we include a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of various 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 schools 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

The criminal justice school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in North Carolina.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Criminal Justice & Corrections in North Carolina

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections.

10 Top North Carolina Schools for an Associate in Criminal Justice

1

Central Piedmont Community College is a good choice for students pursuing an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the large city of Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College is a public college with a large student population.

Associate recipients from the criminal justice & corrections major at Central Piedmont Community College get $11,261 above the average graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

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

2
16 Annual Graduates

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is a wonderful choice for students interested in an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is a moderately-sized public college located in the suburb of Salisbury.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

3
Gaston College crest
Gaston College
Dallas, NC
18 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat Gaston College if you want to pursue an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the suburb of Dallas, Gaston College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Gaston College

4
27 Annual Graduates

Wake Technical Community College is a good choice for individuals pursuing an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Wake Technical Community College is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Raleigh.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Wake Technical Community College

5
10 Annual Graduates

Located in the rural area of Polkton, South Piedmont Community College is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from South Piedmont Community College

6

Located in the suburb of Jamestown, Guilford Technical Community College is a public college with a large student population.

Students who graduate with their associate from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career earnings of $34,400.

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

7
11 Annual Graduates

Located in the distant town of Wilkesboro, Wilkes Community College is a public college with a small student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Wilkes Community College

8
Pitt Community College crest
Pitt Community College
Winterville, NC

Located in the suburb of Winterville, Pitt Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Associate students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make around $33,018 in the first couple years of working.

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

9

Located in the city of Winston-Salem, Forsyth Tech is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

After graduating, criminal justice associate recipients generally make around $22,389 in their early careers.

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

10

DCCC is a small public college located in the rural area of Thomasville.

Associate recipients from the criminal justice & corrections program at Davidson County Community College make $2,858 more than the average college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

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

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Mississippi 143 170
Georgia 121 646
Florida 121 818
Arkansas 105 197
Tennessee 102 210
Virginia 97 571
West Virginia 92 211
Kentucky 90 244
Louisiana 80 260
South Carolina 77 278
Alabama 69 278

View All Rankings >

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 Studies 600

Majors Similar to Criminal Justice

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fire Protection 145
Security Science and Technology 127
Homeland Security 59
Other Homeland Security 37

Notes and References

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