by our College Data Analytics TeamFor its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 162 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice students pursuing a bachelor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 13,153 bachelor's degrees in criminal justice to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
The criminal justice bachelor's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
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 bachelor's 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 Bachelor's Degree Schools.
In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
BS in Criminal Justice - Criminology & Crime Analysis
Track and understand criminal behavior by earning a BS in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Criminology & Crime Analysis.
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for criminal justice students seeking a a bachelor's degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in criminal justice has to look into Union Institute & University. Union is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Cincinnati.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Union Institute & University
Arizona State University - Tempe is a good choice for individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. Located in the midsize city of Tempe, ASU - Tempe is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Arizona State University - Tempe
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in criminal justice has to look into John Jay College of Criminal Justice. John Jay is a large public college located in the large city of New York.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in criminal justice needs to look into University of New Haven. University of New Haven is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of West Haven.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from University of New Haven
Michigan State is a very large public university located in the small city of East Lansing.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Michigan State University
ASU - Skysong is a fairly large public university located in the city of Scottsdale.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Arizona State University - Skysong
Located in the large city of Phoenix, UOPX - Arizona is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from University of Phoenix - Arizona
Located in the city of Fort Lauderdale, Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale
UMass Lowell is a large public university located in the large suburb of Lowell.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from University of Massachusetts - Lowell
Columbia Southern University is a fairly large private for-profit university located in the fringe town of Orange Beach.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Columbia Southern University
Located in the city of Columbia, UofSC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from University of South Carolina - Columbia
Located in the city of Queens, STJ is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from St John’s University - New York
VCU is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Richmond.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Virginia Commonwealth University
RWU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Bristol.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Roger Williams University
Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public university with a medium-sized student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Western Illinois University
UofL is a fairly large public university located in the city of Louisville.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from University of Louisville
Located in the town of Richmond, Eastern is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Eastern Kentucky University
Located in the suburb of New Britain, Charter Oak State College is a public college with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Charter Oak State College
Salve Regina is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Newport.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Salve Regina University
GVSU is a very large public university located in the fringe town of Allendale.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Grand Valley State University
Ferris is a medium-sized public university located in the town of Big Rapids.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Ferris State University
Located in the large city of San Diego, UAGC is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from The University of Arizona Global Campus
Monroe College is a moderately-sized private for-profit college located in the city of Bronx.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Monroe College
Located in the distant town of Warrensburg, UCM is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from University of Central Missouri
Located in the large suburb of Moon Township, RMU is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Robert Morris University
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 Bachelor's Degree Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | Lake Superior State University | Sault Ste Marie, MI |
| 34 | Tarleton State University | Stephenville, TX |
| 35 | Norwich University | Northfield, VT |
| 36 | The College of New Jersey | Ewing, NJ |
| 37 | Columbia College | Columbia, MO |
| 38 | Mississippi College | Clinton, MS |
| 39 | Johnson & Wales University - Providence | Providence, RI |
| 40 | Utah Valley University | Orem, UT |
| 41 | National University | San Diego, CA |
| 42 | Missouri Southern State University | Joplin, MO |
| 43 | Tiffin University | Tiffin, OH |
| 44 | Washburn University | Topeka, KS |
| 45 | Kean University | Union, NJ |
| 46 | Widener University | Chester, PA |
| 47 | Iona College | New Rochelle, NY |
| 48 | University of Oklahoma Norman Campus | Norman, OK |
| 49 | Merrimack College | North Andover, MA |
| 50 | Park University | Parkville, MO |
| 51 | Marymount University | Arlington, VA |
| 52 | Stevenson University | Owings Mills, MD |
| 53 | The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga | Chattanooga, TN |
| 54 | University of Colorado at Colorado Springs | Colorado Springs, CO |
View the Best Criminal Justice Bachelor's Degree Schools for a specific region near you.
One of 21 majors within the Criminal Justice & Corrections area of study, Criminal Justice has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Criminal Justice Studies | 29,542 |
| Criminal Justice & Police Science | 2,270 |
| Other Corrections & Criminal Justice | 1,855 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections, General | 768 |
| Securities Services Administration/Management | 319 |
| Corrections | 257 |
| Corrections Administration | 68 |
| Law Enforcement Investigation & Interviewing | 40 |
| Security & Loss Prevention Services | 35 |
| Juvenile Corrections | 5 |
