Best Schools for Criminal Justice in 2026

629 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026

These are the top schools offering Criminal Justice, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Criminal Justice graduate earns $38,544/yr across 629 schools.

Programs Ranked
629
Avg Earnings
$38,544/yr
Avg DW Score
67/100
AI Risk
Moderate
40% task exposure

All Criminal Justice Programs Ranked

Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.

# Program DW Score Earnings AI Risk ROI
1 Criminal Justice
Charter Oak State College · New Britain, CT
90
86–91
$68,956/yr Moderate 19.3x
2 Criminal Justice
Columbia Southern University · Orange Beach, AL
89
85–90
$60,461/yr Moderate 25.5x
3 Criminal Justice
University of Maryland Global Campus · Adelphi, MD
87
83–87
$55,479/yr Moderate 20.5x
4 Criminal Justice
American Public University System · Charles Town, WV
87
83–87
$57,409/yr Moderate 19.8x
5 Criminal Justice
Colorado State University Global · Aurora, CO
88
85–88
$61,786/yr Moderate 18.9x
6 Criminal Justice
California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA
83
79–85
$45,387/yr Moderate 23.7x
7 Criminal Justice
Indian River State College · Fort Pierce, FL
84
80–85
$43,351/yr Moderate 42.9x
8 Criminal Justice
Polk State College · Winter Haven, FL
82
78–84
$40,808/yr Moderate 35.8x
9 Criminal Justice
Vincennes University · Vincennes, IN
83
80–84
$46,644/yr Moderate 19.0x
10 Criminal Justice
Utah Valley University · Orem, UT
83
79–84
$44,051/yr Moderate 23.4x
11 Criminal Justice
University of Baltimore · Baltimore, MD
82
78–82
$48,991/yr Moderate 15.2x
12 Criminal Justice
Minnesota State University-Mankato · Mankato, MN
82
79–82
$49,019/yr Moderate 15.2x
13 Criminal Justice
Metropolitan State University · Saint Paul, MN
83
80–82
$52,125/yr Moderate 14.4x
14 Criminal Justice
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus · Norman, OK
83
81–82
$53,003/yr Moderate 14.2x
15 Criminal Justice
Weber State University · Ogden, UT
82
78–82
$43,281/yr Moderate 19.8x
16 Criminal Justice
University of North Georgia · Dahlonega, GA
82
78–83
$41,598/yr Moderate 25.8x
17 Criminal Justice
Herzing University-Birmingham · Birmingham, AL
85
83–84
$67,229/yr Moderate 10.9x
18 Criminal Justice
San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA
81
76–83
$42,211/yr Moderate 20.7x
19 Criminal Justice
Herzing University-Atlanta · Atlanta, GA
85
83–84
$67,229/yr Moderate 10.9x
20 Criminal Justice
Fort Hays State University · Hays, KS
82
78–82
$42,428/yr Moderate 20.4x
21 Criminal Justice
Bemidji State University · Bemidji, MN
81
78–81
$49,617/yr Moderate 14.2x
22 Criminal Justice
Herzing University-Minneapolis · St. Louis Park, MN
85
83–84
$67,229/yr Moderate 10.9x
23 Criminal Justice
Western Carolina University · Cullowhee, NC
80
76–82
$38,682/yr Moderate 28.5x
24 Criminal Justice
Herzing University-Akron · Akron, OH
85
83–84
$67,229/yr Moderate 10.9x
25 Criminal Justice
Herzing University-Madison · Madison, WI
85
83–84
$67,229/yr Moderate 10.9x
26 Criminal Justice
Herzing University-Orlando · Winter Park, FL
85
83–84
$67,229/yr Moderate 10.9x
27 Criminal Justice
Herzing University-New Orleans · Metairie, LA
85
83–84
$67,229/yr Moderate 10.9x
28 Criminal Justice
University of Arkansas Grantham · LIttle Rock, AR
84
81–83
$50,520/yr Moderate 14.3x
29 Criminal Justice
Herzing University-Kenosha · Kenosha, WI
85
83–84
$67,229/yr Moderate 10.9x
30 Criminal Justice
Herzing University-Brookfield · Brookfield, WI
85
83–84
$67,229/yr Moderate 10.9x
31 Criminal Justice
Texas A&M University-Central Texas · Killeen, TX
83
80–83
$45,976/yr Moderate 15.9x
32 Criminal Justice
Atlanta Metropolitan State College · Atlanta, GA
80
75–81
$37,342/yr Moderate 29.1x
33 Criminal Justice
Dalton State College · Dalton, GA
80
76–81
$37,856/yr Moderate 31.7x
34 Criminal Justice
Thomas University · Thomasville, GA
81
78–80
$52,991/yr Moderate 12.5x
35 Criminal Justice
Saint Cloud State University · Saint Cloud, MN
81
78–80
$49,412/yr Moderate 13.1x
36 Criminal Justice
Winona State University · Winona, MN
80
77–81
$48,861/yr Moderate 13.9x
37 Criminal Justice
Montana State University-Northern · Havre, MT
81
78–81
$43,158/yr Moderate 16.2x
38 Criminal Justice
Lamar University · Beaumont, TX
79
76–80
$43,707/yr Moderate 15.8x
39 Criminal Justice
Central Washington University · Ellensburg, WA
79
75–81
$44,172/yr Moderate 15.8x
40 Criminal Justice
Florida Gulf Coast University · Fort Myers, FL
80
76–81
$40,079/yr Moderate 20.7x
41 Criminal Justice
Kennesaw State University · Kennesaw, GA
80
76–81
$39,566/yr Moderate 21.6x
42 Criminal Justice
California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA
78
73–80
$38,606/yr Moderate 20.0x
43 Criminal Justice
National University · San Diego, CA
84
82–83
$64,143/yr Moderate 9.7x
44 Criminal Justice
Sonoma State University · Rohnert Park, CA
77
72–80
$38,444/yr Moderate 19.8x
45 Criminal Justice
Lewis-Clark State College · Lewiston, ID
78
75–79
$40,442/yr Moderate 17.3x
46 Criminal Justice
Minot State University · Minot, ND
80
77–79
$45,579/yr Moderate 14.0x
47 Criminal Justice
University of Houston-Downtown · Houston, TX
79
76–80
$42,122/yr Moderate 16.9x
48 Criminal Justice
Tarleton State University · Stephenville, TX
79
76–79
$43,186/yr Moderate 15.5x
49 Criminal Justice
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh · Oshkosh, WI
78
72–80
$39,394/yr Moderate 18.8x
50 Criminal Justice
University of Wisconsin-Platteville · Platteville, WI
78
75–80
$41,636/yr Moderate 16.3x

Methodology

Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).

Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Criminal Justice?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, Charter Oak State College ranks #1 for Criminal Justice with a score of 90/100 and graduate earnings of $68,956/yr.
How much do Criminal Justice graduates earn?
Across 629 schools, Criminal Justice graduates earn an average of $38,544/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $68,956/yr.
Is Criminal Justice a good major for AI resistance?
Criminal Justice has an average AI task exposure of 40%, rated "Moderate". This field has moderate AI exposure — some career paths are more resilient than others.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.