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2025 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

157 Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
15,883 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$40,755 Avg 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.

College Factual looked at 157 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 15,883 degrees in criminal justice & corrections annually.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Criminal Justice & Corrections School

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region Your choice of criminal justice & corrections school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. 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.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Criminal Justice & Corrections Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Criminal Justice
Bachelor's Degrees in Criminal Justice
Master's Degrees in Criminal Justice
Doctor's Degrees in Criminal Justice

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 Middle Atlantic 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.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Middle Atlantic 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.

25 Top Middle Atlantic Region Schools in Criminal Justice

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
86 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
8.1% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections has to check out George Washington University. GWU is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were about 86 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the criminal justice & corrections program at George Washington University make $10,501 above the standard graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from George Washington University

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1,888 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$38,586 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections has to take a look at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Located in the large city of New York, John Jay is a public college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #163 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means John Jay is a great college overall.

There were approximately 1888 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at John Jay in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, criminal justice degree recipients typically earn an average of $38,586 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from John Jay College of Criminal Justice

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
231 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$40,362 Median Starting Salary

St John's University - New York is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in criminal justice & corrections. STJ is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Queens. This university ranks 31st out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 231 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at STJ in the most recent data year. After graduating, criminal justice degree recipients generally make around $40,362 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from St John’s University - New York

4
Rowan crest
Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
274 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$33,254 Median Starting Salary

Rowan University is a good decision for students interested in a degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the large suburb of Glassboro, Rowan is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 13th out of 45 colleges for overall quality in the state of New Jersey.

There were about 274 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Rowan 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 $33,254.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Rowan University

5
The American University crest
American University
Washington, DC
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
104 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$43,377 Median Starting Salary

The American University is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Washington. A Best Colleges rank of #61 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means The American University is a great university overall.

There were roughly 104 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at The American University in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from American University receive $2,622 more than the standard criminal justice graduate.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from American University

6
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
201 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$38,612 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Philadelphia, Temple is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #97 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Temple is a great university overall.

There were approximately 201 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Temple in the most recent data year. After graduating, criminal justice degree recipients typically make about $38,612 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Temple University

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
353 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$55,479 Median Starting Salary

UMGC is a very large public university located in the suburb of Adelphi. A Best Colleges rank of #179 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UMGC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 353 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at UMGC in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from University of Maryland Global Campus earn $14,724 more than the standard criminal justice graduate.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of Maryland Global Campus

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
194 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$35,563 Median Starting Salary

Rutgers New Brunswick is a fairly large public university located in the small city of New Brunswick. A Best Colleges rank of #74 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Rutgers New Brunswick is a great university overall.

There were about 194 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Rutgers New Brunswick in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients typically make an average of $35,563 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Rutgers University - New Brunswick

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
212 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$35,563 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Newark, Rutgers Newark is a public university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #164 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Rutgers Newark is a great university overall.

There were roughly 212 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Rutgers Newark in the most recent data year. After graduating, criminal justice degree recipients typically earn an average of $35,563 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Rutgers University - Newark

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$36,959 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Pittsburgh, Pitt is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #85 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Pitt is a great university overall.

There were approximately 31 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Pitt 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 $36,959.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus

11
Monroe College crest
Monroe College
Bronx, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
356 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$33,101 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Bronx, Monroe College is a private for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. This college ranks 51st out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were about 356 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Monroe College in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, criminal justice degree recipients generally make around $33,101 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Monroe College

12
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
356 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$70,610 Median Starting Salary

CCBC is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Baltimore. This college ranks 11th out of 35 schools for overall quality in the state of Maryland.

There were about 356 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at CCBC in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Community College of Baltimore County earn $29,855 more than the standard criminal justice grad.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Community College of Baltimore County

13
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
30.6% Growth in Graduates

University of Scranton is a small private not-for-profit university located in the small city of Scranton. A Best Colleges rank of #202 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Scranton is a great university overall.

There were roughly 36 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at University of Scranton in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make about $32,300 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from University of Scranton

14
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
216 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
26.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Buffalo, Erie Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 104th out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 216 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Erie Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from Erie Community College make $9,202 more than the standard criminal justice student.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Erie Community College

15
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
70 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$34,224 Median Starting Salary

Community College of Philadelphia is a fairly large public college located in the large city of Philadelphia. This college ranks 25th out of 103 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were about 70 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Community College of Philadelphia in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn about $34,224 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Community College of Philadelphia

16
RMU crest
Robert Morris University
Moon Township, PA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
38th Most Popular In PA

RMU is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Moon Township. This university ranks 29th out of 103 schools for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were approximately 23 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at RMU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Robert Morris University

17
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
90 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
11.1% Growth in Graduates

Monroe Community College is a moderately-sized public college located in the large suburb of Rochester. This college ranks 82nd out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 90 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Monroe Community College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make an average of $30,394 for their early career.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Monroe Community College

18
Hilbert College crest
Hilbert College
Hamburg, NY
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
66 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
13.6% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Hamburg, Hilbert College is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population. This college ranks 36th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 66 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Hilbert College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the criminal justice program make about $40,245 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Hilbert College

19
SUNY Oneonta crest
SUNY Oneonta
Oneonta, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$32,043 Median Starting Salary

Located in the remote town of Oneonta, SUNY Oneonta is a public school with a medium-sized student population. This school ranks 37th out of 136 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 57 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at SUNY Oneonta in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program report average early career income of $32,043.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from SUNY Oneonta

20
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
74 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$35,563 Median Starting Salary

Rutgers Camden is a moderately-sized public university located in the city of Camden. A Best Colleges rank of #248 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Rutgers Camden is a great university overall.

There were approximately 74 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Rutgers Camden in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, criminal justice degree recipients typically earn around $35,563 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Rutgers University - Camden

21
Marist crest
Marist College
Poughkeepsie, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
63 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$36,765 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large suburb of Poughkeepsie, Marist is a private not-for-profit college with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #177 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Marist is a great college overall.

There were roughly 63 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Marist 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 $36,765.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Marist College

22
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
5.1% Growth in Graduates

Located in the suburb of Ewing, TCNJ is a public college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #200 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means TCNJ is a great college overall.

There were about 59 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at TCNJ in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the criminal justice program report average early career income of $36,070.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from The College of New Jersey

23
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
165 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$31,617 Median Starting Salary

Located in the suburb of Selden, Suffolk County Community College is a public college with a fairly large student population. This college ranks 33rd out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were roughly 165 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Suffolk County Community College in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients usually earn around $31,617 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Suffolk County Community College

24
DeSales crest
DeSales University
Center Valley, PA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
$45,505 Median Starting Salary

DeSales is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Center Valley. This university ranks 34th out of 103 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were approximately 53 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at DeSales in the most recent data year. Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their degree from DeSales University make $4,750 more than the standard criminal justice student.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from DeSales University

25
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
104 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded
18.3% Growth in Graduates

Ship is a moderately-sized public university located in the fringe town of Shippensburg. This university ranks 45th out of 103 colleges for overall quality in the state of Pennsylvania.

There were roughly 104 criminal justice & corrections students who graduated with this degree at Ship 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 $41,143.

More information about a degree in criminal justice & corrections from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Rest of the Top Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

26
27
SUNY Oswego crest
SUNY Oswego
Oswego, NY
28
29
Utica College crest
Utica College
Utica, NY
30
31

Additional Noteworthy Schools

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region award.

Rank College Location
32 Mercyhurst University Erie, PA
33 Nassau Community College Garden City, NY
34 Middlesex County College Edison, NJ
35 Kean University Union, NJ
36 William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
37 Widener University Chester, PA
38 Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg, NJ
39 Iona College New Rochelle, NY
40 SUNY Plattsburgh Plattsburgh, NY
41 The College at Brockport Brockport, NY
42 Essex County College Newark, NJ
43 Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg, PA
44 Stevenson University Owings Mills, MD
45 Frostburg State University Frostburg, MD
46 York College of Pennsylvania York, PA
47 LIU Post Brookville, NY
48 Delaware Technical Community College - Terry Dover, DE
49 East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA
50 Montgomery County Community College Blue Bell, PA
51 Atlantic Cape Community College Mays Landing, NJ
52 Wor-Wic Community College Salisbury, MD

Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges by State

Explore the best criminal justice & corrections colleges for a specific state in the Middle Atlantic Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania 334 3,222
New York 333 8,021
Maryland 279 944
New Jersey 273 2,955
District of Columbia 188 335
Delaware 175 280

View All Rankings >

Criminal Justice & Corrections is one of 4 different types of Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting programs to choose from.

Criminal Justice Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Criminal Justice 6,122
Criminal Justice Studies 4,888
Criminal Justice & Police Science 3,591
Other Corrections & Criminal Justice 561
Corrections 346
Securities Services Administration/Management 211
Law Enforcement Investigation & Interviewing 73
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General 58
Corrections Administration 20
Juvenile Corrections 10

View All Criminal Justice Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Security Science and Technology 2,015
Homeland Security 1,525
Fire Protection 206
Other Homeland Security 191

View All Criminal Justice Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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