by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 35 schools in the Plains States Region to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice studies students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 1,793 bachelor's degrees in criminal justice studies to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The criminal justice studies bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
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 studies students working on their bachelor's degree.
The criminal justice studies 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 Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BS in Criminal Justice - Criminology & Crime Analysis
Track and understand criminal behavior by earning a BS in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Criminology & Crime Analysis.
The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in criminal justice studies.
Minnesota State University - Mankato is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in criminal justice studies. Minnesota State Mankato is a large public university located in the city of Mankato.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice studies from Minnesota State University - Mankato
Metropolitan State University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in criminal justice studies. Metro State is a medium-sized public university located in the large city of Saint Paul.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice studies from Metropolitan State University
It is difficult to beat Iowa State University if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in criminal justice studies. Iowa State is a very large public university located in the small city of Ames.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice studies from Iowa State University
Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in criminal justice studies needs to check out University of Nebraska at Omaha. UNOMAHA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Omaha.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice studies from University of Nebraska at Omaha
Located in the town of Indianola, Simpson College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice studies from Simpson College
Located in the midsize city of Fargo, North Dakota State University is a public university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice studies from North Dakota State University - Main Campus
Located in the city of Saint Louis, SLU is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice studies from Saint Louis University
Located in the small city of Saint Cloud, St. Cloud State University is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice studies from Saint Cloud State University
Waldorf is a small private for-profit university located in the remote area of Forest City.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice studies from Waldorf University
Located in the town of Winona, Winona State is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice studies from Winona State University
Explore the best criminal justice studies colleges for a specific state in the Plains States Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Missouri | 475 | 223 |
| Minnesota | 446 | 412 |
| Iowa | 403 | 316 |
| Kansas | 352 | 188 |
| Nebraska | 331 | 358 |
| North Dakota | 251 | 193 |
| South Dakota | 237 | 90 |
Criminal Justice Studies is one of 21 different types of Criminal Justice & Corrections programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Criminal Justice | 566 |
| Criminal Justice & Police Science | 92 |
| Corrections | 87 |
| Other Corrections & Criminal Justice | 41 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections, General | 26 |
| Securities Services Administration/Management | 13 |
