Best colleges for criminal justice
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in criminal justice or criminology, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for criminal justice1,046 schools
1,046 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor RollTop 1% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B+ · Top 27%
- 2
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A- · Top 15%
- 3
Boston University
Boston, MA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B+ · Top 32%
- 4
Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 2% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B-
- 5
Northeastern University
Boston, MA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 3% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B-
- 6
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL · PublicHonor Roll#1 in Florida
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A+ · Top 1%
- 7
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#2 in Florida
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B-
- 8
Villanova University
Villanova, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 2% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade C+
- 9
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL · PublicHonor Roll#3 in Florida
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A · Top 5%
- 10
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 11
University of Georgia
Athens, GA · PublicHonor Roll#3 in Georgia
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A · Top 5%
- 12
University of Maryland-College Park
College Park, MD · PublicHonor RollTop 5% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A · Top 4%
- 13
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A- · Top 11%
- 14
Clemson University
Clemson, SC · PublicHonor Roll#1 in South Carolina
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B+ · Top 24%
- 15
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · PublicHonor Roll#1 in Washington
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 16
George Washington University
Washington, DC · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 4% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B-
- 17
Ohio State University
Columbus, OH · PublicHonor Roll#5 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B+ · Top 21%
- 18
University of Florida-Online
Gainesville, FL · PublicHonor RollTop 4% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A+ · Top 1%
- 19
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · PublicHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B+ · Top 28%
- 20
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Charleston, SC · PublicHonor Roll#2 in South Carolina
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A- · Top 19%
- 21
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, TX · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#5 in Texas
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade C+
- 22
Auburn University
Auburn, AL · PublicHonor Roll#1 in Alabama
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B · Top 39%
- 23
Providence College
Providence, RI · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 5% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade C+
- 24
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA · PublicHonor RollTop 7% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B-
- 25
College of the Ozarks
Point Lookout, MO · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#2 in Missouri
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | $28,699 | $15,715 | $111,371 | 97% |
| Swarthmore College | $23,149 | $17,500 | $80,257 | 92% |
| Boston University | $24,402 | $23,250 | $83,238 | 89% |
| Boston College | $41,704 | $19,000 | $103,937 | 91% |
| Northeastern University | $30,915 | $24,250 | $92,538 | 91% |
| University of Florida | $6,541 | $15,000 | $71,588 | 91% |
| University of Miami | $37,244 | $17,500 | $75,328 | 84% |
| Villanova University | $43,756 | $25,874 | $100,423 | 92% |
| Florida State University | $11,297 | $18,000 | $61,675 | 86% |
| University of California-Irvine | $14,251 | $15,000 | $80,735 | 87% |
| University of Georgia | $13,936 | $18,500 | $68,726 | 90% |
| University of Maryland-College Park | $15,678 | $19,000 | $82,860 | 89% |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | $17,303 | $20,121 | $68,758 | 85% |
| Clemson University | $22,253 | $21,500 | $71,513 | 87% |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus | $14,091 | $14,615 | $78,466 | 85% |
| George Washington University | $36,586 | $20,449 | $90,873 | 84% |
| Ohio State University | $17,339 | $19,976 | $60,409 | 88% |
| University of Florida-Online | $4,815 | $15,000 | $71,588 | 85% |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | $24,406 | $21,500 | $74,479 | 84% |
| Citadel Military College of South Carolina | $20,723 | $21,096 | $72,085 | 75% |
| Texas Christian University | $36,660 | $21,500 | $68,424 | 86% |
| Auburn University | $24,323 | $21,000 | $65,337 | 82% |
| Providence College | $48,523 | $27,000 | $87,054 | 86% |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $30,434 | $24,250 | $66,125 | 86% |
| College of the Ozarks | $6,100 | — | $41,592 | 64% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
By state
- Alabama 20
- Arizona 9
- Arkansas 17
- California 40
- Colorado 11
- Connecticut 14
- Delaware 4
- District of Columbia 6
- Florida 38
- Georgia 39
- Hawaii 3
- Idaho 5
- Illinois 36
- Indiana 33
- Iowa 19
- Kansas 21
- Kentucky 17
- Louisiana 17
- Maine 7
- Maryland 13
- Massachusetts 31
- Michigan 22
- Minnesota 22
- Mississippi 12
- Missouri 33
- Montana 3
- Nebraska 14
- Nevada 3
- New Hampshire 10
- New Jersey 20
- New Mexico 8
- New York 52
- North Carolina 39
- North Dakota 6
- Ohio 57
- Oklahoma 17
- Oregon 7
- Pennsylvania 82
- Puerto Rico 22
- Rhode Island 8
- South Carolina 21
- South Dakota 7
- Tennessee 29
- Texas 60
- Utah 8
- Vermont 4
- Virginia 25
- Washington 14
- West Virginia 14
- Wisconsin 22