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2025 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master's Degree Schools in Illinois

7 Colleges in Illinois
156 Master's Degrees
$72,772 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #30 in popularity, criminal justice & corrections is one of the most sought-after master's degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 7 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 156 master's degrees in criminal justice & corrections to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Criminal Justice & Corrections School for Your Master's Degree

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master's Degree Schools in Illinois Your choice of criminal justice & corrections for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality criminal justice program can vary widely even among the top schools. 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 make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for criminal justice & corrections students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Master's Degree Schools in Illinois.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Criminal Justice & Corrections in Illinois

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

Top Illinois Schools for a Master's in Criminal Justice

1
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, IL

Lewis University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a master's degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the suburb of Romeoville, Lewis is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.

Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their master's degree from Lewis University make $23,374 more than the typical criminal justice graduate.

More information about a master’s in criminal justice & corrections from Lewis University

2

Any student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in criminal justice & corrections has to take a look at Western Illinois University. WIU is a moderately-sized public university located in the remote town of Macomb.

Students who graduate with their master's from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career earnings of $49,381.

More information about a master’s in criminal justice & corrections from Western Illinois University

3

It is hard to beat Loyola University Chicago if you wish to pursue a master's degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.

Students who graduate with their master's from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career wages of $45,302.

More information about a master’s in criminal justice & corrections from Loyola University Chicago

4
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, IL
11 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat Aurora University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the large suburb of Aurora, Aurora is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a master’s in criminal justice & corrections from Aurora University

5
12 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in criminal justice & corrections from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

6
12 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in criminal justice & corrections from Illinois State University

7
16 Annual Graduates

CSU is a small public university located in the large city of Chicago.More information about a master’s in criminal justice & corrections from Chicago State University

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 211 77
Ohio 207 211
Indiana 191 101
Wisconsin 173 43

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 65
Criminal Justice 41
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General 21
Other Corrections & Criminal Justice 17
Securities Services Administration/Management 12

Majors Similar to Criminal Justice

Related Major Annual Graduates
Security Science and Technology 24
Fire Protection 16

Notes and References

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