Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Connecticut (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 7 colleges in Connecticut that report a Criminal Justice earnings cohort, ordered by median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. Quinnipiac University leads with $79,098, while the listed schools span from $79,098 down to $49,978, with a median of $55,710.
The list is mostly private: 6 of the 7 schools are private nonprofits, and 1 is public. Western Connecticut State University ranks 494th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and Western Connecticut State University posts the lowest average net price at $17,604.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Criminal Justice Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quinnipiac University · Hamden, CT | $79,098 | $40,675 | $33,649 | 72.2% |
| Quinnipiac University reports $79,098 in median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing, the top figure on this list and well above the $55,710 median across the seven Connecticut schools. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (32 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($79,098) | |||||
| 2 | Western Connecticut State University · Danbury, CT | $66,510 | $17,604 | $13,507 | 87.0% |
| A public university in Danbury, Western Connecticut State University posts an average net price of $17,604, the lowest among the listed Criminal Justice programs in Connecticut. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (92 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($66,510) | |||||
| 3 | University of New Haven · West Haven, CT | $63,547 | $34,192 | $27,837 | 60.4% |
| University of New Haven admits 60% of applicants and its Criminal Justice graduates earn a median of $63,547 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (237 graduates), Security Science and Technology (120 graduates), Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other (52 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fire Protection ($79,199), Security Science and Technology ($63,360), Criminal Justice and Corrections ($60,656) | |||||
| 4 | Sacred Heart University · Fairfield, CT | $55,710 | $46,174 | $38,691 | 65.4% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 73%, Sacred Heart University reports median earnings of $55,710 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (43 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($55,710) | |||||
| 5 | Albertus Magnus College · New Haven, CT | $53,615 | $34,028 | $35,343 | 59.3% |
| Albertus Magnus College ranks 5th on this list and carries an average net price of $35,343 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (25 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($53,615) | |||||
| 6 | Mitchell College · New London, CT | $50,035 | $30,260 | $26,485 | 94.7% |
| Mitchell College admits 95% of applicants, the most open admission rate on the page, and its Criminal Justice graduates report median earnings of $50,035 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (14 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($50,035) | |||||
| 7 | University of Bridgeport · Bridgeport, CT | $49,978 | $27,807 | $27,238 | 83.0% |
| University of Bridgeport posts a six-year completion rate of 41% and its Criminal Justice completers earn a median of $49,978 four years after graduating. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (35 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($49,978) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only schools with a reported Criminal Justice earnings cohort in Connecticut appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing the program. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or the characteristics of the students who enroll, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. Quinnipiac University leads the list at $79,098, and the gap to second-ranked Western Connecticut State University is $12,588.
Job market context in Connecticut
Criminal Justice graduates in Connecticut enter occupations such as Security Guards, Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers, and Firefighters. The median annual wage across those occupations is $71,247, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $60,005. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 5.1% higher, with 5,510 projected openings a year, or about 639 openings a year for every hundred graduates, meaning more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing; the market figures describe the broader occupations and are not the same measure.