2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region

1

Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, Texas

Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas Christian University landed the #1 spot on the list. Texas Christian University is located in Fort Worth, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

TCU also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #2.Our most recent data shows that 520 of the 11,379 students enrolled at Texas Christian University were GI Bill® students, of which 405 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,096. On top of their other funding sources, 343 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Texas Christian University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas Christian University]](/colleges/texas-christian-university/student-life/veterans/)

2

Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Sam Houston State University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s. Sam Houston State University is a public institution located in Huntsville, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 117 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree vets studying criminal justice list, SHSU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 21,912 students enrolled at SHSU, 1,092 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 496 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,097. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Sam Houston State University Veteran Student Life Report

3

Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, Arizona

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Canyon University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s. Phoenix, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 126 students in 2020-2021.

Grand Canyon University also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5.Our most recent data shows that 7,172 of the 103,427 students enrolled at Grand Canyon University were GI Bill® students, of which 4,951 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,970. In addition to receiving other benefits, 5 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 full report on veteran student life at Grand Canyon University]](/colleges/grand-canyon-university/student-life/veterans/)

4

Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. Texas State is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 16 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 37,812 students enrolled at Texas State, 2,559 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,197 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,635. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Texas State Veteran Student Life Report

5

University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston - Downtown. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s. Houston, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH Downtown, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 20 of the 15,239 students enrolled at UH Downtown were GI Bill® students, of which 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,002. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Houston - Downtown]](/colleges/university-of-houston-downtown/student-life/veterans/)

6

The University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, Texas

The University of Texas at Arlington came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking. Located in Arlington, Texas, this large public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

UT Arlington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.According to our most recent data, The University of Texas at Arlington supports 48,072 students, and 2,109 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,211 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,630. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Arlington Veteran Student Life Report

7

The University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas

The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #7. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTSA, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 34,742 students enrolled at The University of Texas at San Antonio, 3,565 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,847 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,531. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 The University of Texas at San Antonio Veteran Student Life Report

8

University of North Texas
Denton, Texas

University of North Texas came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking. University of North Texas is located in Denton, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNT, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 40,953 students enrolled at UNT, 2,038 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,138 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,999. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

9

Tarleton State University
Stephenville, Texas

Tarleton State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #9. Tarleton State University is a fairly large public school situated in Stephenville, Texas. It awarded 37 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tarleton, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 755 of the 14,016 students enrolled at Tarleton State University were GI Bill® students, of which 317 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,304. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Tarleton State University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Tarleton]](/colleges/tarleton-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

10

Prairie View A & M University
Prairie View, Texas

Prairie View A & M University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking. PVAMU is a medium-sized public school situated in Prairie View, Texas. It awarded 13 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at PVAMU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, PVAMU supports 9,248 students, and 571 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 156 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,470. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Read More…

11

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, Texas

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #11. UT Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Rio Grande Valley, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, UT Rio Grande Valley supports 32,441 students, and 871 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 302 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,560. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 full report on veteran student life at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley]](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-pan-american/student-life/veterans/)

12

University of Phoenix - Arizona
Tempe, Arizona

With a ranking of #12, University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. University of Phoenix - Arizona is a large private for-profit school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 185 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

UOPX - Arizona also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1.Of the 89,763 students enrolled at University of Phoenix - Arizona, 135 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 157 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,437. To help with additional expenses, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Phoenix - Arizona does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Phoenix - Arizona]](/colleges/university-of-phoenix-arizona/student-life/veterans/)

13

Texas A&M International University
Laredo, Texas

With a ranking of #13, Texas A&M International University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized public school situated in Laredo, Texas. It awarded 35 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M International University, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Of the 8,525 students enrolled at Texas A&M International University, 183 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 95 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,308. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Texas A&M International University]](/colleges/texas-a-and-m-international-university/student-life/veterans/)

14

Angelo State University
San Angelo, Texas

Angelo State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Angelo, Texas, and it awarded 6 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Angelo State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Angelo State University supports 10,775 students, and 507 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 225 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,911. During this same period, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Angelo State University]](/colleges/angelo-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

15

Lamar University
Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking. Lamar University is a public institution located in Beaumont, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 97 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Lamar University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Of the 16,637 students enrolled at Lamar University, 692 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 353 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,108. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Lamar University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

16

Northeastern State University
Tahlequah, Oklahoma

With a ranking of #16, Northeastern State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. NSU is a medium-sized school located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma that handed out 20 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

NSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.According to our most recent data, Northeastern State University supports 7,349 students, and 304 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 118 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,801. During this same period, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Northeastern State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full NSU Veteran Student Life Report

17

West Texas A&M University
Canyon, Texas

West Texas A&M University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking. West Texas A&M University is a public institution located in Canyon, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at West Texas A&M University, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 446 of the 10,036 students enrolled at West Texas A&M University were GI Bill® students, of which 191 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,617. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

18

Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, Texas

Wayland Baptist University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking. Plainview, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

Wayland Baptist University also took the #6 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Among the 4,062 students enrolled at Wayland Baptist University, 2 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,578. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read More…

19

New Mexico State University - Main Campus
Las Cruces, New Mexico

With a ranking of #19, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico that handed out 12 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

NMSU Main Campus also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #21.Of the 14,227 students enrolled at NMSU Main Campus, 620 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 285 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,880. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at NMSU Main Campus]](/colleges/new-mexico-state-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

20

MSU Texas
Wichita Falls, Texas

With a ranking of #20, MSU Texas did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. MSU Texas is a medium-sized public school situated in Wichita Falls, Texas. It awarded 9 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Texas, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 318 of the 5,860 students enrolled at MSU Texas were GI Bill® students, of which 137 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,829. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. MSU Texas offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full MSU Texas Veteran Student Life Report

21

Texas Southern University
Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #21, Texas Southern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 14 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

TSU also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #23.Of the 7,015 students enrolled at Texas Southern University, 441 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 179 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,426. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

22

The University of Texas at Tyler
Tyler, Texas

The University of Texas at Tyler landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Criminal Justice for a Master’s ranking. The University of Texas at Tyler is a medium-sized school located in Tyler, Texas that handed out 4 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Tyler not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list.Of the 9,781 students enrolled at UT Tyler, 397 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 199 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,846. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 full report on veteran student life at The University of Texas at Tyler]](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-at-tyler/student-life/veterans/)