2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region
22
Ranked Colleges
3,201
Degrees Awarded
$25,100
Avg Cost*
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
With 113,121 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, criminal justice and corrections is the 7th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, criminal justice and corrections graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,465 and had an average of $25,425 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Rocky Mountains region, there were 3,201 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,347 and $28,717 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminal justice and corrections. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality criminal justice and corrections programs as well as strong veteran support.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the criminal justice and corrections program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice”.
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.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice
The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region vets studying criminal justice.
Top 22 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this fairly large public school awarded 189 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
UCCS also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 12,380 students enrolled at UCCS, 11 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 8 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,808. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UCCS does offer 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%.
Read More…
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus is a large school located in Denver, Colorado that handed out 105 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
CU Anschutz also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 24,723 students enrolled at CU Anschutz, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. CU Anschutz 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at CU Anschutz]](/colleges/university-of-colorado-denver/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice list. Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this large private for-profit school awarded 534 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs supports 28,244 students, and 839 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 690 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,760. To help with additional expenses, 6 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Boise State University. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice. Boise State is a public institution located in Boise, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 127 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying criminal justice list, Boise State has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Boise State University supports 24,069 students, and 1,134 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 798 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,559. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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 More…
Out of the 22 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wyoming landed the #5 spot on the list. Laramie, Wyoming is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 103 students in 2020-2021.
UW also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 11,829 students enrolled at UW, 473 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 255 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,738. During this same period, 13 students received scholarships through 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 UW]](/colleges/university-of-wyoming/student-life/veterans/)
Southern Utah University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Cedar City, Utah, and it awarded 63 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Southern Utah University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 12,582 students enrolled at Southern Utah University, 534 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 378 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $24,076. 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.
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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Southern Utah University]](/colleges/southern-utah-university/student-life/veterans/)
Utah Valley University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice ranking. Orem, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 232 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying criminal justice list, UVU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 40,936 students enrolled at UVU, 813 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 379 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,550. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through 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%.
Full Utah Valley University Veteran Student Life Report
University of Northern Colorado did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice ranking, coming in at #8. Greeley, Colorado is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 122 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Northern Colorado, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 11,460 students enrolled at University of Northern Colorado were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 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 University of Northern Colorado]](/colleges/university-of-northern-colorado/student-life/veterans/)
Colorado Mesa University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Grand Junction, Colorado, and it awarded 101 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying criminal justice list, Colorado Mesa has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Colorado Mesa University supports 9,110 students, and 439 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 196 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,707. 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…
With a ranking of #10, Weber State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice list. WSU is located in Ogden, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 142 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying criminal justice list, WSU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 747 of the 29,596 students enrolled at Weber State University were GI Bill® students, of which 472 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,815. 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 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 Weber State University Veteran Student Life Report
Salt Lake Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice list. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 108 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Salt Lake Community College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 27,293 students enrolled at Salt Lake Community College, 7 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,749. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Metropolitan State University of Denver landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice ranking. Metropolitan State University of Denver is a public institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 183 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
MSU Denver not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, MSU Denver supports 19,086 students, and 1,222 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 867 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,619. To help with additional expenses, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. MSU Denver does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full MSU Denver Veteran Student Life Report
Colorado Christian University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice list. This medium-sized school is located in Lakewood, Colorado, and it awarded 37 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CCU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 7,839 students enrolled at CCU, 574 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 446 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,761. During this same period, 11 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…
Colorado State University - Global Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Greenwood Village, Colorado, and it awarded 119 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado State University - Global Campus, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Colorado State University - Global Campus supports 12,578 students, and 1,398 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,008 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,236. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Colorado State University - Global Campus does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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%.
Full Colorado State University - Global Campus Veteran Student Life Report
College of Southern Idaho landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Twin Falls, Idaho, and it awarded 51 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
College of Southern Idaho also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 122 of the 7,321 students enrolled at College of Southern Idaho were GI Bill® students, of which 73 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,264. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Lewis - Clark State College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice ranking, coming in at #16. Lewiston, Idaho is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
Lewis - Clark State College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Lewis - Clark State College supports 3,856 students, and 168 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 88 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,079. To help with additional expenses, 14 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Lewis - Clark State College Veteran Student Life Report
College of Western Idaho did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice ranking, coming in at #17. CWI is a public institution located in Nampa, Idaho. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CWI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 10,200 students enrolled at College of Western Idaho, 406 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 213 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,155. 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 CWI Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #18, Dixie State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice list. Dixie State College is a fairly large public school situated in Saint George, Utah. It awarded 55 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Dixie State College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Dixie State College supports 12,043 students, and 267 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 96 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,877. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
Arapahoe Community College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice ranking. Located in Littleton, Colorado, this fairly large public school handed out 7 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
Arapahoe Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 12,001 students enrolled at Arapahoe Community College, 290 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 180 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,789. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students qualified for 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 Arapahoe Community College]](/colleges/arapahoe-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Montana State University - Northern did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice ranking, coming in at #20. Montana State University - Northern is a public institution located in Havre, Montana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Montana State University - Northern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 50 of the 1,024 students enrolled at Montana State University - Northern were GI Bill® students, of which 24 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,970. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Montana State University - Northern Veteran Student Life Report
Colorado Mountain College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice ranking. Glenwood Springs, Colorado is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.
Colorado Mountain College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 5,315 students enrolled at Colorado Mountain College, 106 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $642. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships 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 Colorado Mountain College]](/colleges/colorado-mountain-college/student-life/veterans/)
Aims Community College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Criminal Justice ranking. Aims Community College is located in Greeley, Colorado and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Aims Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 5,981 students enrolled at Aims Community College, 205 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 152 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,860. On top of their other funding sources, 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 Aims Community College]](/colleges/aims-community-college/student-life/veterans/)
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
Switch to a More Focused Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
college factual
