by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
With 109,996 degrees handed out in 2021-2022, criminal justice & corrections is the 7th most popular major in the United States. In , criminal justice & corrections graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $35,614 and had an average of $22,981 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southwest region, there were 16,030 criminal justice & corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,924 and $23,422 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,176 criminal justice & corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,505 and $37,295 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region” ranking looked at 35 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminal justice & corrections. That schools that top this list have a program in criminal justice & corrections in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region master’s degree criminal justice students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hardin - Simmons University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region list. Located in Abilene, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Sam Houston State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region list. Sam Houston State University is a public institution located in Huntsville, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 124 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M International University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized public school situated in Laredo, Texas. It awarded 67 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Texas A&M International University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lamar University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region. This fairly large school is located in Beaumont, Texas, and it awarded 116 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Lamar University
Out of the 35 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Texas at Dallas landed the #5 spot on the list. UNT Dallas is a small public school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 15 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of North Texas at Dallas Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Arizona State University - Skysong ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region list. Arizona State University - Skysong is a large school located in Scottsdale, Arizona that handed out 142 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at ASU - Skysong
University of Houston - Downtown came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 52 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Tarleton State University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region list. Stephenville, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 34 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Tarleton
Northeastern State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and it awarded 28 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Northeastern State University
Aspen University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Phoenix, Arizona, and it awarded 13 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Texas Southern University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region ranking. TSU is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Wayland Baptist University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Plainview, Texas, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 degrees to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Wayland Baptist University
With a ranking of #13, Prairie View A & M University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region list. Prairie View, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 13 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Prairie View A & M University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
With a ranking of #14, Sul Ross State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region list. This small school is located in Alpine, Texas, and it awarded 9 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Sul Ross State University
MSU Texas ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region list. MSU Texas is a public institution located in Wichita Falls, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #16, University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region list. University of Phoenix - Arizona is a private for-profit institution located in Phoenix, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 183 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at UOPX - Arizona
Texas Christian University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region list. TCU is a fairly large school located in Fort Worth, Texas that handed out 17 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Grand Canyon University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region list. Grand Canyon University is a large school located in Phoenix, Arizona that handed out 142 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Grand Canyon University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Texas A & M University - Central Texas came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Killeen, Texas, this small public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Texas A & M University - Central Texas
New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and it awarded 13 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at New Mexico State University - Main Campus
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #21. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 52 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at UT Rio Grande Valley
Angelo State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #22. Located in San Angelo, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Angelo State University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
University of North Texas did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #23. University of North Texas is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 20 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of North Texas
West Texas A&M University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region ranking. West Texas A&M University is a medium-sized school located in Canyon, Texas that handed out 4 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at West Texas A&M University
With a ranking of #25, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Criminal Justice Major in the Southwest Region list. UTSA is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 10 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at The University of Texas at San Antonio
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