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2025 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region

208 Colleges in the Southeast Region
29,726 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$40,755 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.

College Factual reviewed 208 schools in the Southeast Region to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of criminal justice & corrections. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 29,726 degrees in criminal justice & corrections annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Criminal Justice & Corrections School

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region Your choice of criminal justice & corrections school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Criminal Justice & Corrections 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

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 Schools in the Southeast Region list to help you make the college decision. 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 the Southeast Region

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. 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 Southeast Region Schools in Criminal Justice

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
362 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$44,939 Median Starting Salary

George Mason University is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in criminal justice & corrections. GMU is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 362 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from George Mason University receive $4,184 more than the average criminal justice grad.

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

2
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
675 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
4.3% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat Florida State University if you want to pursue a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the medium-sized city of Tallahassee, Florida State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #117 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Florida State is a great university overall.

There were about 675 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Florida State in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn about $37,842 in their early career salary.

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

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
959 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
4.9% Growth in Graduates

Any student who is interested in criminal justice & corrections needs to check out American Public University System. Located in the town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #234 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means American Military University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 959 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at American Military University in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from American Public University System make $19,552 more than the typical criminal justice student.

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

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
163 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$38,146 Median Starting Salary

Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Fort Lauderdale. A Best Colleges rank of #123 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a great university overall.

There were about 163 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, criminal justice degree recipients generally make an average of $38,146 in their early careers.

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

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
228 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
2.2% Growth in Graduates

UofSC is a very large public university located in the city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #99 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UofSC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 228 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UofSC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career wages of $35,781.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of South Carolina - Columbia

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
444 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$60,087 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Orange Beach, Columbia Southern University is a private for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #109 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia Southern University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 444 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Columbia Southern University in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from Columbia Southern University receive an earnings boost of around $19,332 above the typical income of criminal justice & corrections graduates.

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

7
Liberty University crest
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,222 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$50,166 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 11th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were approximately 1222 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Liberty University in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Liberty University receive $9,411 more than the standard criminal justice graduate.

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

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
263 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
26.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Richmond, VCU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #189 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means VCU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 263 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at VCU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career earnings of $38,495.

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

9
St. Leo University crest
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
477 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$50,504 Median Starting Salary

Located in the fringe town of Saint Leo, St. Leo University is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. This university ranks 32nd out of 70 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were approximately 477 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at St. Leo University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections degree program at Saint Leo University get $9,749 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

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

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
649 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
0.9% Growth in Graduates

FIU is a very large public university located in the large suburb of Miami. This university ranks 13th out of 70 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were approximately 649 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at FIU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career wages of $37,442.

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

11
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
269 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
11.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Louisville, UofL is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 39 colleges for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were approximately 269 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UofL in the most recent year we have data available. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from University of Louisville earn a boost of about $6,820 above the average earnings of criminal justice & corrections majors.

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

12
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
637 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$38,242 Median Starting Salary

UCF is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Orlando. A Best Colleges rank of #217 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCF is a great university overall.

There were approximately 637 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UCF in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients typically earn about $38,242 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of Central Florida

13
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
379 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
2.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Tampa, HCC is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #247 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means HCC is a great college overall.

There were approximately 379 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at HCC in the most recent year we have data available. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from Hillsborough Community College get an earnings boost of about $12,072 above the average earnings of criminal justice & corrections majors.

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

14
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
249 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$32,408 Median Starting Salary

Eastern is a large public university located in the town of Richmond. This university ranks 12th out of 39 colleges for overall quality in the state of Kentucky.

There were roughly 249 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Eastern in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn about $32,408 for their early career.

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

15
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
260 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$36,155 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Charlotte, UNC Charlotte is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 260 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UNC Charlotte in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, criminal justice degree recipients usually earn an average of $36,155 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of North Carolina at Charlotte

16
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
67 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$37,405 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Athens, UGA is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UGA is a great university overall.

There were about 67 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make about $37,405 in their early career salary.

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

17
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In VA
206 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public college with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #205 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Northern Virginia Community College is a great college overall.

There were about 206 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Northern Virginia Community College in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Northern Virginia Community College

18
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$36,589 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Sanford, Seminole State is a public college with a large student population. This college ranks 16th out of 70 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 92 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Seminole State in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn an average of $36,589 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Seminole State College of Florida

19
BC crest
Broward College
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
225 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$34,607 Median Starting Salary

BC is a fairly large public college located in the city of Fort Lauderdale. This college ranks 15th out of 70 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 225 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at BC in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn about $34,607 for their early career.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Broward College

20
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$45,235 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Charleston, The Citadel is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 4th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of South Carolina.

There were approximately 56 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at The Citadel in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Citadel Military College of South Carolina earn $4,480 more than the average criminal justice graduate.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Citadel Military College of South Carolina

21
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, FL
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
391 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
4.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Orlando, Valencia College is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #130 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Valencia College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 391 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Valencia College in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make an average of $33,246 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Valencia College

22
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
345 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
2.9% Growth in Graduates

FAU is a fairly large public university located in the city of Boca Raton. This university ranks 22nd out of 70 schools for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were roughly 345 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at FAU in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, criminal justice degree recipients typically earn an average of $36,916 in the first five years of their career.

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

23
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$46,165 Median Starting Salary

Augusta Technical College is a small public college located in the midsize city of Augusta. This college ranks 12th out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were about 53 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Augusta Technical College in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Augusta Technical College receive $5,410 more than the average criminal justice grad.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Augusta Technical College

24
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
210 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$36,644 Median Starting Salary

ECU is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Greenville. This university ranks 7th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were approximately 210 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at ECU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn an average of $36,644 in their early career salary.

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

25
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
115 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
0.9% Growth in Graduates

Radford is a medium-sized public university located in the fringe town of Radford. This university ranks 20th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 115 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Radford in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career earnings of $35,935.

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

Rest of the Top Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region

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29
30
SPC crest
St Petersburg College
St. Petersburg, FL
31
32

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34
35
36
37
38
Marymount crest
Marymount University
Arlington, VA
39
40
41

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections students in the Southeast Region that almost earned our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region award.

Rank College Location
42 The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN
43 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR
44 Reinhardt University Waleska, GA
45 University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC
46 Bethel University McKenzie, TN
47 Rasmussen University - Florida Ocala, FL
48 University of Memphis Memphis, TN
49 University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY
50 Columbia College Columbia, SC
51 University of Mississippi University, MS
52 Averett University Danville, VA
53 Columbus State University Columbus, GA
54 Harding University Searcy, AR
55 Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC
56 Eastern Florida State College Melbourne, FL
57 Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL
58 Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Salisbury, NC
59 ECPI University Virginia Beach, VA
60 North Carolina Wesleyan College Rocky Mount, NC
61 Gaston College Dallas, NC
62 Polk State College Winter Haven, FL
63 Shenandoah University Winchester, VA
64 East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN
65 University of South Carolina - Upstate Spartanburg, SC
66 Troy University Troy, AL
67 Arkansas Tech University Russellville, AR
68 Daytona State College Daytona Beach, FL
69 Wake Technical Community College Raleigh, NC

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges by State

Explore the best criminal justice & corrections colleges for a specific state in the Southeast Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 2,157
Florida 282 4,836
North Carolina 279 2,701
Virginia 274 2,889
Tennessee 269 1,212
South Carolina 248 993
Kentucky 244 960
Louisiana 242 972
Mississippi 234 581
Arkansas 234 641
Alabama 233 1,413
West Virginia 207 1,291

View All Rankings >

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

Criminal Justice Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Criminal Justice Studies 16,072
Criminal Justice 7,114
Criminal Justice & Police Science 4,636
Corrections 769
Other Corrections & Criminal Justice 447
Securities Services Administration/Management 330
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General 220
Security & Loss Prevention Services 128
Protective Services Operations 8
Juvenile Corrections 1

View All Criminal Justice Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fire Protection 4,026
Security Science and Technology 2,361
Homeland Security 2,308
Other Homeland Security 796

View All Criminal Justice Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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