2025 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region
122Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
13,333Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$40,755Avg 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.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 122 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 13,333 degrees in criminal justice & corrections annually.
Choosing a Great Criminal Justice & Corrections School
The criminal justice program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections rankings. 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.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings by Degree Level
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 the Great Lakes Region.
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.
Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Great Lakes Region
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. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
24 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Criminal Justice
Any student who is interested in criminal justice & corrections needs to check out Union Institute & University. Union is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Cincinnati. A Best Colleges rank of #124 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Union is a great university overall.
There were about 159 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Union in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Union Institute & University earn $83,481 more than the typical criminal justice student.
Michigan State University is a great option for students interested in a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Michigan State is a very large public university located in the city of East Lansing. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.
There were approximately 232 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Michigan State University earn $4,280 more than the average criminal justice student.
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the large city of Cincinnati, UC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #137 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC is a great university overall.
There were about 388 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus receive an earnings boost of approximately $6,302 above the typical earnings of criminal justice & corrections graduates.
Gateway Technical College is a wonderful choice for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Gateway Technical College is a large public college located in the small city of Kenosha. A Best Colleges rank of #160 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Gateway Technical College is a great college overall.
There were roughly 193 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Gateway Technical College in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections degree program at Gateway Technical College earn $9,624 more than the typical college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.
Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.
There were approximately 127 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make an average of $35,572 for their early career.
Ivy Tech Community College is a very large public college located in the city of Indianapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #173 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Ivy Tech Community College is a great college overall.
There were about 488 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Ivy Tech Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program report average early career earnings of $34,292.
Purdue University Global is a very large public university located in the small city of West Lafayette. This university ranks 8th out of 41 colleges for overall quality in the state of Indiana.
There were roughly 905 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Purdue University Global in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections program at Purdue University Global make $7,208 more than the typical college graduate in this field when they enter the workforce.
Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 10th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 230 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program report average early career wages of $34,551.
Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 37th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were roughly 225 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at WIU in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make about $41,227 in the first couple years of working.
Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.
There were roughly 103 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, criminal justice degree recipients generally make an average of $38,953 at the beginning of their careers.
Located in the midsize suburb of Appleton, FVTC is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 9th out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.
There were about 144 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at FVTC in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, criminal justice degree recipients typically earn around $39,571 in their early careers.
Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the midsize suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were approximately 158 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, criminal justice degree recipients usually earn about $37,584 at the beginning of their careers.
Northern Michigan University is a medium-sized public university located in the remote town of Marquette. This university ranks 35th out of 56 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were approximately 69 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Northern Michigan University in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program report average early career earnings of $38,518.
Located in the distant town of Adrian, Siena Heights University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were about 64 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Siena Heights University in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from Siena Heights University receive an earnings boost of around $26,254 over the typical earnings of criminal justice & corrections majors.
GVSU is a very large public university located in the fringe town of Allendale. This university ranks 5th out of 56 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were roughly 166 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at GVSU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career wages of $39,857.
Located in the city of Muncie, Ball State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #181 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Ball State is a great university overall.
There were roughly 122 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Ball State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program state that they receive average early career income of $39,991.
Ferris is a moderately-sized public university located in the remote town of Big Rapids. This university ranks 13th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were roughly 337 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Ferris in the most recent year we have data available. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from Ferris State University receive an earnings boost of around $4,695 over the average income of criminal justice & corrections graduates.
Located in the distant town of Platteville, UW - Platteville is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. This university ranks 20th out of 46 colleges for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.
There were approximately 120 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UW - Platteville in the most recent year we have data available. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from University of Wisconsin - Platteville receive an earnings boost of around $3,034 over the average earnings of criminal justice & corrections majors.
Located in the remote town of Sault Ste Marie, Lake Superior State University is a public university with a small student population. This university ranks 37th out of 56 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were approximately 61 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Lake Superior State University in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections program at Lake Superior State University get $3,182 more than the standard college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
Madison College is a large public college located in the city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #223 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Madison College is a great college overall.
There were approximately 94 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Madison College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients usually earn about $39,174 in the first five years of their career.
Macomb Community College is a fairly large public college located in the midsize city of Warren. This college ranks 12th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were approximately 39 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Macomb Community College in the most recent data year.
Located in the city of Lansing, LCC is a public college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 26th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.
There were about 71 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at LCC in the most recent data year.
IUPUI is a fairly large public university located in the city of Indianapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #253 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means IUPUI is a great university overall.
There were about 117 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at IUPUI in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice & Corrections degree recipients from Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis earn a boost of approximately $3,710 over the average earnings of criminal justice & corrections majors.
Located in the large suburb of Kent, Kent State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #250 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Kent State is a great university overall.
There were roughly 196 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Kent State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program report average early career income of $33,980.
Rest of the Top Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections students in the Great Lakes Region that almost earned our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Great Lakes Region award.
The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
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 the rest 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).
The criminal justice program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections rankings. 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.
