2025 Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Illinois
13
Colleges in Illinois
1,274
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
If you pursue a degree in
criminal justice studies, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #16 most popular program in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
College Factual looked at 13 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,274 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. We derive our Best Overall Criminal Justice Studies School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.
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 Illinois ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
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.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for Criminal Justice Studies in Illinois
The schools below may not offer all types of criminal justice studies degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top Illinois Schools in Criminal Justice Studies
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In IL
230
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
Any student who is interested in criminal justice studies has to take a look at University of Illinois at Chicago. UIC is a fairly large public university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #254 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.
There were about 230 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from University of Illinois at Chicago
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In IL
158
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
It's hard to beat Illinois State University if you wish to pursue a degree in criminal justice studies. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were approximately 158 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from Illinois State University
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
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In IL
83
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
It is difficult to beat Aurora University if you wish to pursue a degree in criminal justice studies. Located in the suburb of Aurora, Aurora is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #348 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Aurora is a great university overall.
There were about 83 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at Aurora in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from Aurora University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In IL
116
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in criminal justice studies. Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 31st out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 116 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at SIUE in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In IL
133
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the large suburb of Romeoville, Lewis is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 39th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 133 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at Lewis in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from Lewis University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
12th
Most Popular In IL
37
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
SXU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #750 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SXU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 37 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at SXU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from Saint Xavier University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
13th
Most Popular In IL
37
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the city of Chicago, Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #636 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Roosevelt is a great university overall.
There were roughly 37 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at Roosevelt in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from Roosevelt University
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
7th
Most Popular In IL
65
Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
GSU is a small public university located in the large suburb of University Park. This university ranks 80th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were roughly 65 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at GSU in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from Governors State University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
11th
Most Popular In IL
Located in the small suburb of Bourbonnais, Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 34th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were roughly 23 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at Olivet Nazarene in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from Olivet Nazarene University
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
10th
Most Popular In IL
Located in the large suburb of Lisle, Benedictine U is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #419 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Benedictine U is a great university overall.
There were about 30 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at Benedictine U in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from Benedictine University
