2025 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in North Carolina
35
Colleges in North Carolina
4,320
Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$40,755
Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #7 in popularity,
criminal justice & corrections is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 35 schools in North Carolina to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice & corrections students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 4,320 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. For our Best Overall Criminal Justice & Corrections School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that 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
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 & Corrections Schools in North Carolina.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
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.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections in North Carolina
The schools below may not offer all types of criminal justice degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top North Carolina Schools in Criminal Justice
University of North Carolina at Charlotte is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in criminal justice & corrections. UNC Charlotte is a very large public university located in the city of Charlotte. A Best Colleges rank of #367 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNC Charlotte is a great university overall.
There were roughly 260 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UNC Charlotte in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make about $36,155 for their early career.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of North Carolina at Charlotte
East Carolina University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #275 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means ECU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 210 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at ECU 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 earnings of $36,644.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from East Carolina University
It's difficult to beat Appalachian State University if you wish to pursue a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Appalachian State is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Boone. A Best Colleges rank of #401 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Appalachian State is a great university overall.
There were about 145 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Appalachian State 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 $35,796.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Appalachian State University
Every student pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections has to look into Western Carolina University. Located in the distant town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 36th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.
There were approximately 149 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at WCU in the most recent data year. After graduation, criminal justice degree recipients typically make an average of $38,682 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Western Carolina University
Located in the town of Pembroke, UNC Pembroke is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 48th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.
There were roughly 150 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UNC Pembroke in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program report average early career wages of $35,553.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Located in the large city of Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #572 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Central Piedmont Community College is a great college overall.
There were approximately 77 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Central Piedmont Community College in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Central Piedmont Community College earn $3,861 more than the average criminal justice graduate.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Central Piedmont Community College
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is a moderately-sized public college located in the suburb of Salisbury. This college ranks 50th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.
There were approximately 85 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College receive an earnings boost of approximately $6,238 above the typical earnings of criminal justice & corrections majors.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
Located in the city of Rocky Mount, North Carolina Wesleyan College is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1110 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means North Carolina Wesleyan College is a great college overall.
There were roughly 107 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at North Carolina Wesleyan College in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn around $33,735 for their early career.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from North Carolina Wesleyan College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
27th
Most Popular In NC
112
Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Dallas, Gaston College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #491 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Gaston College is a great college overall.
There were about 112 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Gaston College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Gaston College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
14th
Most Popular In NC
100
Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
Wake Technical Community College is a fairly large public college located in the suburb of Raleigh. A Best Colleges rank of #461 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Wake Technical Community College is a great college overall.
There were approximately 100 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Wake Technical Community College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Wake Technical Community College
