2023 Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans
98
Ranked Colleges
2,792
Degrees Awarded
$29,700
Avg Cost*
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Criminal Justice is the 27th most popular major in the country with 32,891 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 98 colleges that offer a degree in criminal justice. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality criminal justice programs as well as strong veteran support.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the criminal justice program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.
Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree vets studying criminal justice.
Top 25 Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Louisville. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. UofL is located in Louisville, Kentucky and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UofL, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Louisville supports 22,211 students, and 17 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 9 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $25,972. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend George Mason University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s. GMU is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 6 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at GMU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, George Mason University supports 38,541 students, and 2,334 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,583 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,710. To help with additional expenses, 42 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full GMU Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. Fort Lauderdale, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” list.Among the 20,330 students enrolled at Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale, 75 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 56 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,004. During this same period, 21 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Commonwealth University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. VCU is a large school located in Richmond, Virginia that handed out 5 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
According to our most recent data, Virginia Commonwealth University supports 29,070 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,085. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Virginia Commonwealth University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Virginia Commonwealth University]](/colleges/virginia-commonwealth-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. Lowell, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 98 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying criminal justice list, UMass Lowell has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 18,150 students enrolled at University of Massachusetts - Lowell, 623 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 290 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,664. In addition to receiving other benefits, 29 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
With a ranking of #6, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. University of Colorado at Colorado Springs is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Among the 12,380 students enrolled at UCCS, 11 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,808. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UCCS Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #7, Sam Houston State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. Located in Huntsville, Texas, this large public school awarded 33 degrees to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SHSU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, Sam Houston State University supports 21,912 students, and 1,092 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 496 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,097. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Sam Houston State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Texas A & M University - Central Texas landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking. Texas A & M University - Central Texas is a public institution located in Killeen, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Among the 2,339 students enrolled at Texas A & M University - Central Texas, 1,101 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 516 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,003. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Texas A & M University - Central Texas Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #9, Columbia College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. Columbia College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 26 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Our most recent data shows that 6 of the 8,347 students enrolled at Columbia College Missouri were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $750. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Columbia College Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #10, Troy University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. This fairly large school is located in Troy, Alabama, and it awarded 41 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Among the 16,497 students enrolled at Troy University, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,250. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Troy University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Troy University]](/colleges/troy-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #11. Columbia, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
UofSC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, University of South Carolina - Columbia supports 35,470 students, and 1,609 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 651 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,453. In addition to receiving other benefits, 33 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UofSC]](/colleges/university-of-south-carolina-columbia/student-life/veterans/)
University of San Diego came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking. University of San Diego is located in San Diego, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 131 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our master’s degree vets studying criminal justice list, USD has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 8,861 students enrolled at USD, 44 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 28 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $22,598. In addition to receiving other benefits, 17 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 24 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
According to our most recent data, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus supports 24,723 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full CU Anschutz Veteran Student Life Report
Averett University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. Averett University is a small school located in Danville, Virginia that handed out 5 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 887 students enrolled at Averett University were GI Bill® students, of which 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,806. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full AU Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #15, National University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 37 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
According to our most recent data, National University supports 18,070 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read More…
With a ranking of #16, Eastern Kentucky University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. Eastern is a fairly large public school situated in Richmond, Kentucky. It awarded 9 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
According to our most recent data, Eastern supports 14,465 students, and 869 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 469 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,031. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eastern does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Eastern Kentucky University]](/colleges/eastern-kentucky-university/student-life/veterans/)
Grand Valley State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking. Grand Valley State University is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
According to our most recent data, Grand Valley State University supports 23,350 students, and 479 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 198 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,686. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Grand Valley State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read More…
Norwich University ranked #18 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. Norwich is a small school located in Northfield, Vermont that handed out 11 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Our most recent data shows that 822 of the 3,975 students enrolled at Norwich were GI Bill® students, of which 569 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,528. On top of their other funding sources, 55 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Norwich University]](/colleges/norwich-university/student-life/veterans/)
Texas State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in San Marcos, Texas, and it awarded 16 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
According to our most recent data, Texas State University supports 37,812 students, and 2,559 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,197 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,635. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Texas State Veteran Student Life Report
Bellevue University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #20. Bellevue University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Bellevue, Nebraska. It awarded 16 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Bellevue University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” list.Among the 13,059 students enrolled at Bellevue University, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Bellevue University]](/colleges/bellevue-university/student-life/veterans/)
Faulkner University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. This small school is located in Montgomery, Alabama, and it awarded 71 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Of the 2,961 students enrolled at Faulkner University, 20 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 12 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,817. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Faulkner University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Faulkner University Veteran Student Life Report
University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 10 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
UST MN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, University of St Thomas Minnesota supports 9,792 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of St Thomas Minnesota offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UST MN]](/colleges/university-of-st-thomas-minnesota/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #23, Hilbert College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. Hilbert College is located in Hamburg, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Of the 801 students enrolled at Hilbert College, 49 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 22 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,166. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Hilbert College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Hilbert College]](/colleges/hilbert-college/student-life/veterans/)
University of Mississippi did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #24. Ole Miss is a public institution located in University, Mississippi. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Our most recent data shows that 46 of the 21,014 students enrolled at University of Mississippi were GI Bill® students, of which 22 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,346. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Mississippi does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read More…
With a ranking of #25, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
Of the 29,390 students enrolled at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,439. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full IUPUI Veteran Student Life Report
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