Best Colleges for Criminal Justice

The educational bar for entering the law enforcement field has sharply risen in the last decade. This, in part, explains the exponential growth in criminal justice schools across the country. However, another key factor behind Criminal Justice’s place as the 6th most popular major at U.S. institutions are the associated specialty areas of study that can lead to exciting careers. These include: forensic accounting, counterterrorism, criminal psychology, homeland security, and forensic science. No matter your area of concentration, the schools on our list of Best Colleges for Criminal Justice will help you achieve your career aims in the world of law enforcement.

Click the links below for more information about each college’s criminal justice program. Click here to read our methodology. Now, we are ready to begin our overview of the best criminal justice colleges.

The 29 Best Criminal Justice Schools

1) University of California, Irvine

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 429
  • Criminology, Law & Society is an interdisciplinary major that examines how social, cultural, political, and economic forces influence crime and punishment.
  • UCI’s programs sit near the top of rankings conducted by the likes of USA Today and US News.

2) Florida State University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 511
  • The Criminology program at FSU can lead to wide spectrum of career possibilities.
  • The Bachelor’s Internship Program can be done full-time (40 hours per week) or part-time (20 hours per week) and can lead to 8-15 credit hours.

3) University of Maryland

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 321
  • Ample undergraduate research opportunities exist at UMD, helping to make the program one of the best colleges for criminal justice.
  • Required coursework for the major includes Introduction to Criminal Justice, Introduction to Criminology, Statistics for Criminology & Criminal Justice, Criminal Law in Action, and Criminological and Criminal Justice Research Methods.

4) University of Pennsylvania

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 13
  • The Department of Criminology was established in 2003 and is the home to the Crime and Justice Policy Lab & the Journal of Quantitative Criminology.
  • Undergrads take courses such as Wrongful Convictions, Biopsychological Criminology. And Law & Criminal Justice.

5) Arizona State University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: N/A
  • Undergraduates can assist faculty research in a number of interesting subjects across a variety of research settings.
  • Ranked as the #5 program in the nation by U.S. News, the department includes 26 tenure/tenure-track professors, 20 research professors, and 58 faculty associates.

6) Penn State University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 235
  • Courses within the major include Courts and the Prosecution Process, Corrections in America, Policing in America, an internship experience, and a senior seminar.
  • You can begin this major at any Penn State campus, but must finish at one of the following: Beaver, DuBois, Fayette, Greater Allegheny, Hazleton, Lehigh Valley, New Kensington, Shenango, Schuylkill, Wilkes-Barre.

7) Northeastern University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 38
  • Numerous pathways at NU exist to make a Criminal Justice pathway most meaningful to undergrads. Popular double major additions include Psychology, Cybersecurity, Journalism, and Computer Science.
  • Undergrads have limitless research opportunities at over 30 interdisciplinary research centers.

8) American University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 79
  • A BS degree is available in Justice, Law, and Criminology. They also have bachelor’s options for Justice & Law and Legal Studies.
  • Core coursework includes the following courses: Measurement of Crime, Introduction to Systems of Justice, Data Science, Statistical Programming in R, and Introductions to Legal Studies Research.

9) University of Delaware

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 132
  • Specific areas of study include Criminology, Criminal Law, International and Comparative Criminal Justice, Crime and Inequality, Restorative Justice, Criminal Justice Institutions and Systems, Juvenile Justice and Delinquency, Substance Abuse, and Criminal Justice Policy.
  • The department is affiliated with two internationally renowned research centers: the Center for Drug and Health Studies (CDHS) and the Disaster Research Center (DRC).

10) University at Albany (SUNY)

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year:156
  • Criminal Justice programs at the BA, MA, and PhD level are available through the University at Albany.
  • There are 16 faculty members within the department.

11) University of Cincinnati

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 205
  • Bachelor degree programs in Criminal Justice are available both on campus and online.
  • All students complete a field placement that is an unpaid internship.

12) George Mason University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: N/A
  • Degree offerings include a BA in Criminology, Law, and Society or a BS in Criminology Law, and Society. You can also pursue a minor in that same field of study.
  • Courses include Policing in America, Applied Criminal Psychology, Crime Victims and Victimizations, Criminal Courts, and Law and Justice around the World.

13) Rutgers University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 178
  • You’ll have the option to complete an Honors Research Thesis which allows juniors or seniors to embark on a yearlong study under the supervision of a faculty member.
  • Coursework includes Ideas in Justice, Criminal Procedure, Prisons and Prisoners, Forensic Science, and an Internship in Criminal Justice.

14) San Diego State University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 317
  • A strong major choice for anyone “interested in working in the fields of law, law enforcement, probation and parole, corrections or other social service agencies. This degree also prepares students for law school or graduate school in either criminal justice or a related field.”
  • Courses include Crime and Behavior, Law in Society, Blacks n the American Justice System, Investigation and Report, and Criminal Justice and Social Control.

15) Ohio State University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 143
  • Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies majors enter fields such as law enforcement, delinquency prevention and control services, crime prevention, corrections, probation or parole, criminal justice administration, and research.
  • Starting salaries in this major are higher (on average) than for economics, psychology, or anthropology majors.

16) John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY)

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 1,193
  • John Jay is the most diverse college in the City University of New York (CUNY) system.
  • Student research opportunities are open to undergraduate students.

17) George Washington University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 39
  • The BA in Criminal Justice program is part of the Department of Sociology.
  • All undergraduates complete an internship which takes advantage of their location near countless advocacy groups and government organizations.

18) Temple University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 191
  • View faculty areas of research interest here that help make Temple one of the best colleges for criminal justice in country.
  • Temple has a full Criminal Justice Major as well as a 4 + 1 option that grants both a BA and MA in the field.

19) Indiana University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 117
  • One of the best criminal justice colleges, IU Bloomington offers a BA in Criminal Justice as well as a minor option or Criminal Justice BA + MA program.
  • Field experiences worth 3-6 credits can be obtained at a variety of organizations.

20) University of Miami

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 35
  • Criminology majors at UMiami go on to careers such as Lawyer, Police Officer, Probation Officer, Caseworker in a juvenile detention facility, Corrections Officer, Crime Prevention Specialist, Crime Analyst for criminal justice agencies, and Special Agent with FBI, DEA, and ATF.
  • A research-focused slate of courses includes the following: Quantitative Methods Lab, Theories of Deviant Behavior, Quantitative Methods for Sociologists, and Introduction to Social Research.

21) University of Georgia

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: N/A
  • Criminal Justice at UGA is an undergraduate degree program jointly administered by the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Public and International Affairs.
  • You can view the last five years of internship placements here.

22) University of Pittsburgh

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: N/A
  • Pitt offers a BA in Administration of Justice and graduates focus on one of four areas of concentration: Adult and Juvenile Corrections, Law Enforcement Practice, Forensics, and Cybercrime.
  • Students can pursue for-credit internships.

23) University of Washington

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: N/A
  • The bachelor’s degree program at UW-Seattle is in Law, Societies, and Justice (LSJ).
  • Experiential learning opportunities come in many forms at this university.

24) The College of New Jersey

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: N/A
  • The Criminology Major offered within the School of Humanities and Social Sciences includes courses like Judicature, Policing Civil Societies, Research Methods, and Juvenile Justice.
  • Many local internship and independent study options are available through TCNJ.

25) Michigan State University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: N/A
  • MSU’s School of Criminal Justice includes 30 faculty who are nationally/internationally known for their expertise.
  • At the undergraduate level, the school offers a Major in Criminal Justice, Minor in Security Management, or an Additional Major in Criminal Justice.

26) Marist College

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: N/A
  • Criminal Justice courses include Criminal Law and Procedure, Law and Society, Race and Crime, Cross-Cultural Criminal Justice Systems, and Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
  • 99% of graduates are employed within six months of graduation.

27) Appalachian State University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 127
  • Undergraduate students are required to complete a semester interning at an approved criminal justice agency.
  • Employers of recent grads include: the FBI, Secret Service, State Department Diplomatic Security, Air Marshal, Naval Criminal Investigative Services, U.S. Marshal’s Service, U.S. Probation, N.C. State Highway Patrol, N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement, N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, N.C. Division of Community Corrections, Juvenile District Attorney offices, Public Defenders offices, and NC-based Police departments.

28) University of South Carolina

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: N/A
  • The following types of courses can be applied toward a BA in Criminal Justice at UofSC: The American Criminal Justice System, Research Methods in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Criminal Procedure, Sociology of Crime, Policing, and Corrections Criminal Courts.
  • Extensive chances to participate in undergraduate research exist in this program.

29) Florida International University

  • # of bachelor’s degrees awarded in most recent year: 600
  • Housed within the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs, this program, which is among the best criminal justice colleges around, offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees programs both in-person and online.
  • Can pursue a B.S. degree in either Crime Science or Criminal Justice.

Final Thoughts: Best Colleges for Criminal Justice

We hope you have found our list of the best criminal justice schools to be helpful. Students interested in exploring related fields may find the following Best Colleges list to be of interest:

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