What Are the Best Criminal Justice Colleges?

Finding a school that offers a degree in criminal justice is the easy part. There are many schools with extensive criminal justice degree programs, allowing students to pick from a variety of concentrations within the field. In fact, criminal justice studies are quickly rising in popularity. Degrees conferred to students enrolled in security and protective services degree programs, which is a major part of the criminal justice discipline, increased 11 percent from the 2005-2006 school year to the 2006-2007 school year, according to the most recent available data from the National Center for Education Statistics. However, deciding which schools offer the most valuable learning experience can be tricky. While the degree program track may be similar from school to school, and the titles of the courses needed identical, there are a variety of different factors that should be considered when deciding on which school to enroll in. We looked at all of these factors to compile the ranking list available on the home page.

One of the first things to check for when deciding which criminal justice school to attend is to ensure that the school is accredited. Accreditation means that the school and its programs meet the education standards of an independent accrediting agency. Earning a degree from an unaccredited school is risky, as future employers may not accept the diploma because the school has not proven itself as a provider of quality education. All of the schools mentioned on our site have been accredited by reliable accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. The brand power of the school is also important, as popular schools are often popular for a good reason.

The school’s graduation rate, student retention rate, and career placement rate are also important factors that should be considered when choosing a criminal justice school to attend. Schools that have a high graduation and student retention rates indicate that the programs are structured in a way that many students can successfully complete them. A high student retention rate also shows that the school is willing to work with students to keep them enrolled and attending classes. The career placement rate is important as well. After graduation, a quality criminal justice school will assist students in jump-starting their justice career by placing them in positions within the field that allows for advancement.

These aspects of criminal justice schools should not be overlooked, as they are great indicators of whether a school is worth the time and money investment. With so many choices available, prospective criminal justice majors need to understand which colleges offer the most valuable educational experience.