Criminal Justice in California is one of the most popular areas of study. It is a fascinating field that offers many different career opportunities to graduates.
Best Criminal Justice Schools in California are scattered all over the state, but there are some schools with excellent reputations for this discipline. Here is our list of 15 Best Criminal Justice Schools in California:
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University of San Diego
The University of San Diego is a private research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego.
USD offers a Bachelor of Arts or Science in Criminal Justice, and students have the opportunity to specialize in areas such as Homeland Security, Juvenile Justice, Corrections, Crime Analysis, and Forensic Science.
The Department of Criminal Justice at USD has an excellent reputation for preparing graduates for successful careers in law enforcement and criminal justice.
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The faculty are experienced practitioners who bring their real-world knowledge into the classroom.
Additionally, the department has strong partnerships with local law enforcement agencies and businesses, which provides students with valuable networking opportunities.
USD is ranked #11 by U.S News & World Report for Best Regional Universities – West Coast and #16 by Best Colleges for Veterans.
Notable Alumni: Adam Schiff, U.S Representative from California’s 28th congressional district and ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; Jim DeMint, former United States Senator from South Carolina
Website: sandiego.edu/criminaljustice/
University of California – Irvine
The University of California – Irvine (UCI) is a public research university located in the city of Irvine, California.
This one of the best Criminal Justice Schools in California offers an undergraduate degree program with three different concentrations: Crime Analysis and Intelligence; Criminology and Law Studies; Public Policy & Applied Social Sciences.
The department researches criminal justice matters such as juvenile delinquency prevention, police effectiveness, digital crime analysis systems among others.
The faculty regularly participates in conferences where they present their findings to other professionals within the field.
UCI also has strong ties with local law enforcement agencies so graduates can potentially find employment opportunities upon graduation from Best Criminal Justice Schools in California.
UCLA is ranked #15 by U.S News & World Report for Best National Universities and #13 for Best Public Schools.
Notable Alumni: Neal Katyal, former acting solicitor general of the United States; George Stephanopoulos, chief anchor and political correspondent for ABC News
Website: irvine.academia.edu/CriminalJustice
Golden West College
Golden West College (GWC) is a community college located in Huntington Beach, California. It offers an Associate of Arts degree which can be completed in two years.
The program provides students with a strong foundation for transferring to a four-year university to complete their Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or related field.
The faculty at GWC are experienced professionals who bring their real-world knowledge into the classroom.
They also have connections with local law enforcement agencies, so graduates of Best Criminal Justice Schools in California can potentially find employment opportunities after graduation.
Additionally, GWC offers many different careers and technical programs which can help students gain experience in the criminal justice field.
GWC is ranked #15 by Community College Week for Associate Degree Producers and has an overall graduation rate of 71%.
Website: gwc.edu/academics/departments/criminaljustice/Pages/default.aspx
La Sierra University
La Sierra University (LSU) is a private Christian university located in Riverside, California.
Best Criminal Justice Schools in California offers an undergraduate degree program with three different concentrations: Administration of Justice; Criminology & Forensics; and Social Work & Criminal Justice.
The faculty at LSU are experienced professionals who bring their real-world knowledge into the classroom.
They also have connections with local law enforcement agencies, so graduates of Best Criminal Justice Schools in California can potentially find employment opportunities after graduation.
Additionally, LSU offers many different careers and technical programs which can help students gain experience in the criminal justice field.
LSU is ranked #11 by U.S News & World Report for Best Regional Universities – West Coast and has an overall graduation rate of 78%.
Notable Alumni: Ruben Navarrette Jr., nationally syndicated columnist; Hector Villagra, executive director of the ACLU of Southern California
Website: lasierra.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/criminal-justice/
Santa Rosa Junior College
For those looking to be in law enforcement, Santa Rosa Junior College offers one of the top schools with a degree.
Located midtown and offering more than just an education; students can join clubs or organizations that are relevant within their field as well.
A ranking at #401 out of 2276 colleges means this school is truly exceptional!
Graduates earn $40K over typical criminal justice graduates–so if you’re ready for your future career path now’s the time to start thinking about where will take place after college graduation?
Website: srjc.edu/academics/departments/criminaljustice/Pages/default.aspx
California State University – Long Beach
California State University offers an undergraduate degree program with a concentration in Forensic Science.
The large institution of Cal State Long Beach is located in the Los Angeles area and has a very competitive admission process.
Students who are accepted tend to major in Business, Psychology, or Family Studies with Consumer Sciences as another popular choice for graduations 74%.
Alumni go on to earn $36K starting-salaries after graduation which places them near the bottom third when compared against other universities’ earners- but don’t let this discourage you!
This University is also the best for Criminal Justice in the area. Best Criminal Justice Schools in California is ranked #71 by U.S News & World Report for Best Online Graduate Programs and has a graduation rate of 80%.
Website: csun.edu/academics/colleges/cla/departments-and-majors/#forensicscience
Butte College
Butte College is one of the finest schools in America for getting a degree related to criminal justice and corrections.
The Best Schools rank #440 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide which means that this medium-sized public school offers an overall great education experience with classes being taught by top-notch faculty members who are also experts in their fields – all at your fingertips!
A study shows there were about 132 students who graduated from Butte college last year.
Website: buttecollege.edu/programs/criminaljustice/#overview
University of La Verne
At The University of La Verne, we have a rich variety of campus activities to help you build community and achieve success.
Live on-campus with your friends or make lifelong ones while participating in one of our 70+ student clubs – there’s something for everyone!
Our 18 NCAA athletic teams will provide the competitive edge needed for any college athlete looking to improve their skills at higher levels than ever before achievable.
The university offers more than just an education: it provides opportunities like these too so students can pursue passions throughout all aspects.
Website: ulaverne.edu/online/criminal-justice/bachelor-of-arts/#crimeanalysisandintelligencecriminology
The University of Arizona Global Campus
Located in the heart of California’s beautiful Pacific North West, UAGC is a private university with an enrollment large enough to afford higher tuition rates and still be competitively priced for students from all walks of life.
This Forprofit school ranks 101st out 203 colleges across America on overall quality indicators like graduation rate or student debt burden while offering programs that prepare you well into your professional career if desired; including degree options such as Criminal Justice & Corrections which has been attended by many successful afterward careers Peace officers have a median starting salary of $50K.
University of Massachusetts Global
UMass Global is a small, private university that offers students the chance to earn an affordable degree.
With only 1 388 undergraduate student body at this time and 89% acceptance rate for all applicants–UMass global has made it easy on you!
Alumni come from every major field including Criminal Justice, Psychology, or Business but if those aren’t your thing there are plenty more options available too like arts & humanities which produces 60% of graduates going onto high-paying careers starting around $41K annually once graduated.
Website: umassglobal.edu/online/criminal-justice/#bachelorsdegreeprogram
Los Medanos College
Los Medanos is a medium-sized public college located in a large suburb of Pittsburg.
This school ranks 151st out of 203 colleges for overall quality across California, with approximately 67 students graduating last year who studied criminal justice and corrections programs here at Los Medanos!
I will admit that I’m not exactly sure what constitutes as “medium” or whether there’s really such thing as an average population size over time but either way – these rankings are pretty impressive considering how many people can potentially graduate from one university alone (not even counting international graduates).
San Diego State University
San Diego State University is a large, public university with an enrollment of 27 thousand undergraduate students.
The acceptance rate for admission to the school is fairly high at 34% and popular majors include Criminal Justice, Business, Psychology, and Liberal Arts & Humanities which graduate 73% percent of all its graduates (thirty-nine hundred seventy).
Alumni from this institution go on average make $37-hundred dollars per year more than non-alumni/ nonsenior citizens upon graduation in their respective field – so it pays off!
University of Phoenix – California
The University of Phoenix-Costa Mesa is a small private for-profit university located in the city by Orange County’s coast.
With an overall rank of #385 out of 2576 colleges nationwide, it can be assumed that UOPX – California has to offer great education opportunities and services as well!
It appears there were 123 criminal justice & corrections majors who graduated from this institution with their degrees last year alone; so if you’re looking into becoming one such student then consider going ahead today before your application slot runs dry!
California State University – Sacramento
Cal State Los Angeles is a large public university located in the heart of California, with nearly 20 thousand undergraduate students.
Admissions are fairly competitive as 48% of applications were accepted last year – making this one tough school!
Popular majors include Business and Sociology; however Criminal Justice Studies has been gaining momentum over recent years to become one of Cal States most popular major too- combined they make up 52%.
Graduating at an impressive rate (52%), CSULA alumni go on to earn $33700 after graduation which puts them well above average starting salaries for their field ̶ especially considering how much tuition costs here ($6-$10k per semester).
National University, La Jolla
A large, private not-for-profit university located in the beautiful city of La Jolla is National University.
This means it has an overall best schools rank of #428 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide which makes them a great place to go for your college education needs!
The number 131 criminal justice and corrections graduates tell us that this school does offer some things different than others when looking at student outcomes – those who graduate with their degree get $13155 more average earnings compared to other students pursuing similar majors at NU.
The list of the 15 best criminal justice schools in California is compiled by ranking all campuses that offer a bachelor’s degree or higher in this major.
With these rankings, you can find out which school to attend for your future career as an officer, detective, lawyer, judge, probation officer, and more. Have you already made up your mind about where you want to study?
Let us know what it will take for you to get admitted!