2025 Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in California
17
Colleges in California
4,890
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
Criminal Justice Studies is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #16 most popular major 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 looked at 17 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 4,890 degrees in criminal justice studies to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Criminal Justice Studies School
Your choice of criminal justice studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Criminal Justice Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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 Studies Degree Level
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in California ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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 Studies in California
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 studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top California Schools in Criminal Justice Studies
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In CA
417
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
San Diego State University is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in criminal justice studies. SDSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Diego. A Best Colleges rank of #185 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 417 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from San Diego State University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In CA
572
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
It is difficult to beat California State University - Sacramento if you wish to pursue a degree in criminal justice studies. Located in the large city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #267 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Sac State is a great university overall.
There were approximately 572 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at Sac State in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from California State University - Sacramento
Bachelors
Degree Type
BS in Criminal Justice - Criminology & Crime Analysis
Program Name
Track and understand criminal behavior by earning a BS in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Criminology & Crime Analysis.
More information about a degree in BS in Criminal Justice - Criminology & Crime Analysis from Southern New Hampshire University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
9th
Most Popular In CA
239
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
California State University - San Bernardino is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in criminal justice studies. Located in the midsize city of San Bernardino, CSUSB is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 82nd out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 239 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at CSUSB in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from California State University - San Bernardino
Graduate Certificate
Highest Degree Type
12th
Most Popular In CA
303
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
San Francisco State University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in criminal justice studies. SFSU is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Francisco. A Best Colleges rank of #225 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SFSU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 303 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at SFSU in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from San Francisco State University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In CA
352
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #271 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cal State Fullerton is a great university overall.
There were approximately 352 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at Cal State Fullerton in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from California State University - Fullerton
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In CA
384
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
UAGC is a fairly large private for-profit university located in the large city of San Diego. A Best Colleges rank of #393 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UAGC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 384 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at UAGC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from The University of Arizona Global Campus
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
7th
Most Popular In CA
250
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
CSULB is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Long Beach. A Best Colleges rank of #246 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means CSULB is a great university overall.
There were approximately 250 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from California State University - Long Beach
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
15th
Most Popular In CA
139
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the midsize city of Chico, Chico State is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 64th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 139 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at Chico State in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from California State University - Chico
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
10th
Most Popular In CA
238
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the large suburb of Hayward, Cal State East Bay is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 62nd out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 238 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at Cal State East Bay in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from California State University - East Bay
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
13th
Most Popular In CA
196
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the small suburb of Turlock, Stan State is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 76th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 196 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at Stan State in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from California State University - Stanislaus
