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2025 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Missouri

18 Colleges in Missouri
1,494 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.

College Factual looked at 18 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Missouri ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,494 degrees in criminal justice & corrections annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Criminal Justice & Corrections School

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Missouri Your choice of criminal justice & corrections school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Criminal Justice & Corrections Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Criminal Justice
Bachelor's Degrees in Criminal Justice
Master's Degrees in Criminal Justice

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 Missouri. 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 Missouri

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 Missouri Schools in Criminal Justice

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
128 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$38,266 Median Starting Salary

University of Central Missouri is a good option for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections. UCM is a large public university located in the distant town of Warrensburg. A Best Colleges rank of #1241 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCM is a great university overall.

There were approximately 128 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UCM in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients generally earn about $38,266 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of Central Missouri

2
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO

Saint Louis University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in criminal justice & corrections. SLU is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Saint Louis. A Best Colleges rank of #243 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means SLU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 30 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at SLU in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections degree program at Saint Louis University get $4,954 above the typical graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Saint Louis University

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
261 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$33,154 Median Starting Salary

Missouri Southern State University is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the small city of Joplin, Missouri Southern is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 28th out of 48 schools for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were approximately 261 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Missouri Southern in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career income of $33,154.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Missouri Southern State University

4
Columbia College Missouri crest
Columbia College
Columbia, MO
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
166 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$46,299 Median Starting Salary

Columbia College is a good choice for students interested in a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Columbia College Missouri is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit college located in the medium-sized city of Columbia. A Best Colleges rank of #634 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Columbia College Missouri is a great college overall.

There were roughly 166 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Columbia College Missouri in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Columbia College receive $5,544 more than the typical criminal justice student.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Columbia College

5
Park University crest
Park University
Parkville, MO
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
167 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$49,305 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Parkville, Park University is a private not-for-profit university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #751 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Park University is a great university overall.

There were about 167 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Park University in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from Park University receive an earnings boost of about $8,550 over the typical earnings of criminal justice & corrections graduates.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Park University

6
Lindenwood University crest
Lindenwood University
Saint Charles, MO
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
71 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
2.8% Growth in Graduates

Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the city of Saint Charles. A Best Colleges rank of #654 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Lindenwood University is a great university overall.

There were about 71 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Lindenwood University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn an average of $36,253 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Lindenwood University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
7.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri State University is a public university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1307 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Southeast Missouri State University is a great university overall.

There were approximately 63 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Southeast Missouri State University in the most recent data year. After graduating, criminal justice degree recipients generally make around $36,537 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Southeast Missouri State University

8
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, MO
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$32,176 Median Starting Salary

Located in the remote town of Kirksville, Truman State is a public university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #800 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Truman State is a great university overall.

There were about 31 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Truman State in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, criminal justice degree recipients generally earn about $32,176 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Truman State University

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In MO

Saint Louis Community College is a fairly large public college located in the suburb of Bridgeton. A Best Colleges rank of #1278 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Saint Louis Community College is a great college overall.

There were roughly 27 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Saint Louis Community College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Saint Louis Community College

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
35 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$39,808 Median Starting Salary

Missouri Western is a small public university located in the small city of Saint Joseph. This university ranks 40th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were about 35 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Missouri Western in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn about $39,808 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Missouri Western State University

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 1,523
Kansas 266 583
Iowa 264 627
Nebraska 238 608
North Dakota 210 225
South Dakota 204 154

View All Rankings >

Criminal Justice & Corrections is one of 4 different types of Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting programs to choose from.

Criminal Justice Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Criminal Justice 725
Criminal Justice & Police Science 320
Criminal Justice Studies 264
Corrections 85
Law Enforcement Investigation & Interviewing 50
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General 22
Securities Services Administration/Management 11
Juvenile Corrections 10
Corrections Administration 7

View All Criminal Justice Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Homeland Security 163
Fire Protection 101
Other Homeland Security 67
Security Science and Technology 40

View All Criminal Justice Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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