2023 Best Criminal Justice Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
19
Ranked Colleges
1,617
Degrees Awarded
$24,700
Avg Cost*
Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 32,891 people earned their degree in criminal justice, making the major the 27th most popular in the United States.
Across the Plains States region, there were 1,617 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in criminal justice. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality criminal justice programs as well as strong veteran support.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the criminal justice program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice Schools
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 “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice”.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice”.
Top 19 Best Criminal Justice Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Park University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice. Park University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Parkville, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 179 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Park University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 10,165 students enrolled at Park University, 5 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 $2,501. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice list. Columbia College is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 187 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Columbia College Missouri did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 6 of the 8,347 students enrolled at Columbia College were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $750. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Central Missouri. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice. UCM is located in Warrensburg, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 128 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCM, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 9,959 students enrolled at University of Central Missouri, 9 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,238. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bellevue University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice list. This fairly large school is located in Bellevue, Nebraska, and it awarded 16 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Bellevue University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 13,059 students enrolled at Bellevue University, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were 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. 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%.
Read More…
Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice that were part of this year’s ranking, University of St Thomas Minnesota landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
UST MN also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 9,792 students enrolled at UST MN, 2 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 received scholarships 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UST MN]](/colleges/university-of-st-thomas-minnesota/student-life/veterans/)
Saint Ambrose University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice ranking, coming in at #6. Saint Ambrose University is a small school located in Davenport, Iowa that handed out 4 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Ambrose University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, St. Ambrose University supports 3,003 students, and 88 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 42 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,054. On top of their other funding sources, 17 students received funds through 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Saint Ambrose University]](/colleges/saint-ambrose-university/student-life/veterans/)
Saint Cloud State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice ranking. Saint Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 4 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Cloud State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 291 of the 11,841 students enrolled at Saint Cloud State University were GI Bill® students, of which 126 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,067. 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.
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 Saint Cloud State University]](/colleges/saint-cloud-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Mount Mercy University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice list. Mount Mercy is a small school located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa that handed out 39 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Mount Mercy not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Mount Mercy University supports 1,705 students, and 58 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 33 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,227. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Mount Mercy University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Mount Mercy]](/colleges/mount-mercy-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice ranking. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a fairly large public school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 8 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMKC, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 16,147 students enrolled at UMKC, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UMKC does offer 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%.
Full University of Missouri - Kansas City Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #10, Washburn University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice list. Washburn University is located in Topeka, Kansas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying criminal justice list, Washburn University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Washburn University supports 5,880 students, and 306 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 147 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,535. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Washburn University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Washburn University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #11, Missouri Southern State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice list. Joplin, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 106 students in 2020-2021.
Missouri Southern also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 5,045 students enrolled at Missouri Southern, 210 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 98 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,255. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Missouri Southern State University]](/colleges/missouri-southern-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice ranking. CMU CLAS is located in Fayette, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
CMU CLAS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 1,141 students enrolled at Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school 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.
Read More…
Waldorf University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice ranking. Forest City, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
Waldorf also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 398 of the 3,025 students enrolled at Waldorf University were GI Bill® students, of which 319 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,621. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Waldorf University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Culver - Stockton College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Canton, Missouri, and it awarded 25 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Culver - Stockton also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 1,006 students enrolled at Culver - Stockton College, 27 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,492. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Culver - Stockton College Veteran Student Life Report
Central Christian College of Kansas landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice ranking. This small school is located in McPherson, Kansas, and it awarded 41 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Central Christian College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 49 of the 629 students enrolled at Central Christian College of Kansas were GI Bill® students, of which 33 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,232. On top of their other funding sources, 2 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Central Christian College of Kansas offers credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Central Christian College]](/colleges/central-christian-college-of-kansas/student-life/veterans/)
Concordia University, Saint Paul did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice ranking, coming in at #16. Concordia University, Saint Paul is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Concordia University, Saint Paul also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 5,585 students enrolled at Concordia University, Saint Paul, 196 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 118 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,143. To help with additional expenses, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 Concordia University, Saint Paul]](/colleges/concordia-university-saint-paul/student-life/veterans/)
Walden University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice ranking. Walden University is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 258 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Walden University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 49,695 students enrolled at Walden University, 2,721 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,568 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,240. On top of their other funding sources, 3 students received funds 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Walden University]](/colleges/walden-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #18, Evangel University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice list. Evangel University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Springfield, Missouri. It awarded 8 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Evangel did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Evangel University supports 1,999 students, and 76 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 45 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,862. During this same period, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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…
Hannibal - LaGrange University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Criminal Justice ranking. Hannibal, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
HLGU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 739 students enrolled at HLGU, 28 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,541. 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.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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