2023 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges for Veterans in Virginia
20
Ranked Colleges
3,262
Degrees Awarded
$29,900
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Criminal Justice & Corrections is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 7th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 113,121 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 Virginia, there were 3,262 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,941 and $29,645 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in criminal justice and corrections. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great criminal justice and corrections programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the criminal justice and corrections program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice” 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice
The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia vets studying criminal justice.
Top 20 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges for Veterans in Virginia
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend George Mason University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice. George Mason University is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 399 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
GMU 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 38,541 students enrolled at George Mason University, 2,334 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,583 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,710. To help with additional expenses, 42 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 GMU]](/colleges/george-mason-university/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 193 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
VCU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 29,070 students enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University were GI Bill® students, of which 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,085. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Virginia Commonwealth 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at VCU]](/colleges/virginia-commonwealth-university/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Liberty University. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Lynchburg, Virginia. It awarded 1,235 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia vets studying criminal justice list, Liberty University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Liberty University supports 93,349 students, and 13,282 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8,897 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,888. During this same period, 386 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…
Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice that were part of this year’s ranking, ECPI University landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and it awarded 81 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia vets studying criminal justice list, ECPI University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 12 of the 14,353 students enrolled at ECPI University were GI Bill® students, of which 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,344. 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.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Marymount University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice list. Marymount is a small school located in Arlington, Virginia that handed out 22 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Marymount also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 3,294 students enrolled at Marymount University, 175 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 172 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,047. On top of their other funding sources, 35 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Marymount 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 Marymount University Veteran Student Life Report
Northern Virginia Community College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice ranking, coming in at #6. Northern Virginia Community College is a large school located in Annandale, Virginia that handed out 220 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Northern Virginia Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 52,873 students enrolled at Northern Virginia Community College, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,267. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Northern Virginia Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full Northern Virginia Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Radford University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice ranking, coming in at #7. Radford is a medium-sized public school situated in Radford, Virginia. It awarded 114 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia vets studying criminal justice list, Radford has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Radford supports 10,695 students, and 460 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 225 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,142. On top of their other funding sources, 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 Radford University]](/colleges/radford-university/student-life/veterans/)
Averett University ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice list. Located in Danville, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 28 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
AU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, AU supports 887 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,806. 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.
Full Averett University Veteran Student Life Report
Tidewater Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice ranking. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, this fairly large public school awarded 160 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
Tidewater Community College also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Tidewater Community College supports 16,769 students, and 49 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 45 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,391. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Full Tidewater Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Virginia Wesleyan University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice ranking. Virginia Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It awarded 35 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
VWU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 1,347 students enrolled at VWU, 166 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 116 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,128. In addition to receiving other benefits, 22 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Regent University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice list. Regent University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Regent 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 10,483 students enrolled at Regent, 1,414 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,139 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,203. In addition to receiving other benefits, 42 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Regent offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
Strayer University - Virginia came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice ranking. Strayer University - Virginia is a small school located in Arlington, Virginia that handed out 76 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Strayer University - Virginia also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 4,797 students enrolled at Strayer University - Virginia, 63 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 59 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,224. During this same period, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Strayer University - Virginia does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Strayer University - Virginia]](/colleges/strayer-university-virginia/student-life/veterans/)
South University, Virginia Beach ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice list. South University, Virginia Beach is a small school located in Virginia Beach, Virginia that handed out 11 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at South University, Virginia Beach, 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, South University, Virginia Beach supports 403 students, and 158 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 143 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,966. To help with additional expenses, 10 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read More…
Virginia State University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice list. Petersburg, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia State, 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 368 of the 4,020 students enrolled at Virginia State University were GI Bill® students, of which 112 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,578. 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 Virginia State University Veteran Student Life Report
Roanoke College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice ranking. Roanoke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Salem, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Roanoke also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Roanoke supports 1,920 students, and 68 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 50 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,471. In addition to receiving other benefits, 26 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Roanoke 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Roanoke College]](/colleges/roanoke-college/student-life/veterans/)
Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice ranking. Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach is a small private for-profit school situated in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It awarded 12 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach 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, Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach supports 1,515 students, and 185 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 130 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,959. On top of their other funding sources, 15 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach]](/colleges/bryant-and-stratton-college-virginia-beach/student-life/veterans/)
Shenandoah University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice ranking. Shenandoah University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winchester, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Shenandoah also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 4,174 students enrolled at Shenandoah, 222 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 133 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,576. On top of their other funding sources, 36 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Shenandoah 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read More…
With a ranking of #18, John Tyler Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice list. John Tyler Community College is located in Chester, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 61 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
John Tyler Community College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 9,440 students enrolled at John Tyler Community College, 519 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 348 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,512. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. John Tyler Community College does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
Full John Tyler Community College Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #19, Reynolds Community College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice list. Reynolds Community College is a medium-sized school located in Richmond, Virginia that handed out 18 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Reynolds Community College 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 247 of the 7,759 students enrolled at Reynolds Community College were GI Bill® students, of which 135 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,885. 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.
Full Reynolds Community College Veteran Student Life Report
Bluefield College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Virginia for Criminal Justice ranking. Bluefield College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bluefield, Virginia. It awarded 29 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Bluefield College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 38 of the 965 students enrolled at Bluefield College were GI Bill® students, of which 25 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,677. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students received scholarships 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 Bluefield College]](/colleges/bluefield-college/student-life/veterans/)
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