Best colleges for criminal justice in Illinois
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in criminal justice or criminology, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for criminal justice in Illinois36 schools
36 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Schools in Illinois.
- 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
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitTop 13% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade C+
- 2
Bradley University
Peoria, IL · Private nonprofitTop 13% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B · Top 47%
- 3
DePaul University
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitTop 16% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B-
- 4
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL · PublicTop 16% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 5
University of St. Francis
Joliet, IL · Private nonprofitTop 21% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A · Top 8%
- 6
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, IL · Private nonprofitTop 21% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B · Top 43%
- 7
Lewis University
Romeoville, IL · Private nonprofitTop 18% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A- · Top 16%
- 8
Illinois State University
Normal, IL · PublicTop 24% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B+ · Top 26%
- 9
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, IL · Private nonprofit#21 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B · Top 47%
- 10
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, IL · Private nonprofit#22 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B-
- 11
Aurora University
Aurora, IL · Private nonprofit#25 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B+ · Top 29%
- 12
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL · Public#27 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B+ · Top 21%
- 13
University of Illinois Springfield
Springfield, IL · PublicTop 15% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A · Top 6%
- 14
Illinois College
Jacksonville, IL · Private nonprofit#29 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B
- 15
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL · PublicGood: Compass grade B
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B+ · Top 22%
- 16
Saint Xavier University
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitTop 18% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A · Top 10%
- 17
Blackburn College
Carlinville, IL · Private nonprofitGood: Compass grade B
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B-
- 18
Millikin University
Decatur, IL · Private nonprofit#33 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B-
- 19
Dominican University
River Forest, IL · Private nonprofitTop 20% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A- · Top 15%
- 20
Quincy University
Quincy, IL · Private nonprofitGood: Compass grade B-
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B-
- 21
North Park University
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitGood: Compass grade B-
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B+ · Top 35%
- 22
Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL · Public#37 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A- · Top 18%
- 23
Governors State University
University Park, IL · PublicTop 23% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade A · Top 8%
- 24
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL · PublicTop 25% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B+ · Top 24%
- 25
Benedictine University
Lisle, IL · Private nonprofitTop 21% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in criminal justice or criminology
- Value grade B · Top 39%
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loyola University Chicago | About $36,000 | $24,157 | $71,530 | 73% |
| Bradley University | About $23,000 | $27,000 | $66,852 | 76% |
| DePaul University | About $31,000 | $23,168 | $68,751 | 68% |
| University of Illinois Chicago | About $11,000 | $16,704 | $68,740 | 62% |
| University of St. Francis | About $13,000 | $21,079 | $63,926 | 67% |
| Elmhurst University | About $24,000 | $20,489 | $61,462 | 70% |
| Lewis University | About $17,000 | $21,500 | $66,099 | 67% |
| Illinois State University | About $19,000 | $20,482 | $62,117 | 65% |
| Trinity Christian College | About $19,000 | $25,009 | $55,700 | 58% |
| Olivet Nazarene University | About $21,000 | $25,000 | $53,213 | 61% |
| Aurora University | About $19,000 | $20,318 | $58,709 | 60% |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | About $15,000 | $20,500 | $56,346 | 57% |
| University of Illinois Springfield | About $10,000 | $19,128 | $57,103 | 53% |
| Illinois College | About $18,000 | $25,565 | $52,575 | 64% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | About $13,000 | $21,543 | $53,390 | 62% |
| Saint Xavier University | About $11,000 | $22,223 | $58,656 | 57% |
| Blackburn College | About $18,000 | $24,242 | $46,802 | 57% |
| Millikin University | About $22,000 | $27,000 | $51,262 | 55% |
| Dominican University | About $12,000 | $24,411 | $60,327 | 55% |
| Quincy University | About $20,000 | $24,000 | $50,369 | 45% |
| North Park University | About $17,000 | $25,500 | $59,572 | 58% |
| Northern Illinois University | About $13,000 | $22,162 | $57,808 | 49% |
| Governors State University | About $12,000 | $18,618 | $58,169 | 22% |
| Eastern Illinois University | About $13,000 | $21,500 | $51,989 | 47% |
| Benedictine University | About $22,000 | $22,500 | $63,446 | 50% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- 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
- 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