2025 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California
45
Colleges in California
15,936
Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$40,755
Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in
criminal justice & corrections, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #7 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 45 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 15,936 degrees in criminal justice & corrections to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Criminal Justice & Corrections School
The criminal justice program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for criminal justice & corrections schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings by Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections in California
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the criminal justice degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top California Schools in Criminal Justice
Every student who is interested in criminal justice & corrections has to look into Santa Rosa Junior College. Located in the medium-sized city of Santa Rosa, SRJC is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #121 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means SRJC is a great college overall.
There were roughly 504 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at SRJC in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections degree program at Santa Rosa Junior College make $70,894 more than the standard college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Santa Rosa Junior College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
54th
Most Popular In CA
179
Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
Butte College is a great decision for students interested in a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Butte College is a fairly large public college located in the rural area of Oroville. A Best Colleges rank of #475 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Butte College is a great college overall.
There were approximately 179 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Butte College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Butte College
It is hard to beat Southwestern College if you wish to pursue a degree in criminal justice & corrections. SWC Chula Vista is a fairly large public college located in the city of Chula Vista. A Best Colleges rank of #120 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SWC Chula Vista is a great college overall.
There were approximately 199 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at SWC Chula Vista in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn around $30,983 for their early career.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Southwestern College
Moreno Valley College is a great decision for students interested in a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Moreno Valley College is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Moreno Valley. This college ranks 146th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 288 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Moreno Valley College in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections major at Moreno Valley College get $40,584 above the typical college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Moreno Valley College
Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #185 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SDSU is a great university overall.
There were roughly 418 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career wages of $33,261.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from San Diego State University
Sac State is a very large public university located in the city of Sacramento. A Best Colleges rank of #267 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Sac State is a great university overall.
There were roughly 572 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Sac State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program report average early career wages of $38,606.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from California State University - Sacramento
Located in the midsize city of Modesto, MJC is a public college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #230 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means MJC is a great college overall.
There were about 117 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at MJC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make an average of $28,102 for their early career.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Modesto Junior College
Located in the small city of Palm Desert, College of the Desert is a public college with a large student population. This college ranks 75th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 95 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at College of the Desert in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career wages of $32,482.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from College of the Desert
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
81st
Most Popular In CA
164
Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
Located in the suburb of Marysville, Yuba College is a public college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 90th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 164 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Yuba College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Yuba College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In CA
532
Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
East Los Angeles College is a very large public college located in the large suburb of Monterey Park. This college ranks 121st out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 532 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at East Los Angeles College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from East Los Angeles College
