by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 91 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice students pursuing a associate degree. Combined, these schools handed out 8,845 associate degrees in criminal justice to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
Your choice of criminal justice for getting your associate degree school matters. Important measures of a quality criminal justice program can vary widely even among the top schools. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
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 schools for criminal justice students working on their associate degree.
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 Associate Degree Schools.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for criminal justice students seeking a an associate degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It is difficult to beat Santa Rosa Junior College if you wish to pursue an associate degree in criminal justice. SRJC is a fairly large public college located in the midsize city of Santa Rosa.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Santa Rosa Junior College
Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a good option for individuals pursuing an associate degree in criminal justice. Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Fort Lauderdale.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale
Butte College is one of the best schools in the country for getting an associate degree in criminal justice. Located in the rural area of Oroville, Butte College is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Butte College
Every student who is interested in an associate degree in criminal justice needs to take a look at Southwestern College. Located in the large city of Chula Vista, SWC Chula Vista is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Southwestern College
Located in the large suburb of Moreno Valley, Moreno Valley College is a public college with a large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Moreno Valley College
MJC is a fairly large public college located in the city of Modesto.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Modesto Junior College
College of the Desert is a large public college located in the small city of Palm Desert.More information about a associate in criminal justice from College of the Desert
Yuba College is a medium-sized public college located in the midsize suburb of Marysville.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Yuba College
Lake Superior State University is a small public university located in the town of Sault Ste Marie.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Lake Superior State University
Located in the large city of Tampa, HCC is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Hillsborough Community College
Located in the suburb of Monterey Park, East Los Angeles College is a public college with a very large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice from East Los Angeles College
Fresno City College is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Fresno.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Fresno City College
Sacramento City is a large public college located in the large city of Sacramento.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Sacramento City College
Located in the large city of Buffalo, Erie Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Erie Community College
Monroe Community College is a moderately-sized public college located in the large suburb of Rochester.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Monroe Community College
Located in the suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Northern Virginia Community College
Located in the small city of Sanford, Seminole State is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Seminole State College of Florida
Located in the midsize city of Warren, Macomb Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice from Macomb Community College
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Criminal Justice Associate Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Broward College | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 20 | Valencia College | Orlando, FL |
| 21 | Riverside City College | Riverside, CA |
| 22 | Santa Ana College | Santa Ana, CA |
| 23 | Florida State College at Jacksonville | Jacksonville, FL |
| 24 | St Petersburg College | St. Petersburg, FL |
| 25 | Hudson Valley Community College | Troy, NY |
| 26 | Indian River State College | Fort Pierce, FL |
| 27 | San Diego Miramar College | San Diego, CA |
| 28 | Miami Dade College | Miami, FL |
| 29 | Nassau Community College | Garden City, NY |
| 30 | Raritan Valley Community College | Branchburg, NJ |
View the Best Criminal Justice Associate Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
Criminal Justice is one of 21 different types of Criminal Justice & Corrections programs to choose from.