Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Florida (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 17 colleges in Florida that report a Criminal Justice earnings cohort, ordered by the median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. Barry University ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $103,746 for its graduates two years after completing.
Across the listed schools, the median earnings figure is $53,454, and the range stretches from $103,746 to $44,891, a spread of $58,855. The gap between the first- and second-ranked programs is $31,774.
The list includes 8 public and 9 private nonprofit institutions. Florida Atlantic University reports the lowest average net price on the page at $8,752.
Florida International University ranks 14th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally, the best on this list.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Criminal Justice Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barry University · Miami, FL | $103,746 | $22,613 | $20,804 | 77.2% |
| Barry University reports median earnings of $103,746 for its Criminal Justice graduates two years after completing, and ranks 1st on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Homeland Security (14 graduates) | |||||
| 2 | Nova Southeastern University · Fort Lauderdale, FL | $71,972 | $30,371 | $26,603 | 73.2% |
| Nova Southeastern University posts a six-year completion rate of 63% alongside median earnings of $71,972 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (22 graduates) | |||||
| 3 | Lynn University · Boca Raton, FL | $68,824 | $44,089 | $40,711 | 73.5% |
| With an average net price of $44,089, Lynn University ranks 3rd on this list and reports median earnings of $68,824 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (36 graduates), Security Science and Technology (10 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($68,824) | |||||
| 4 | Saint Leo University · Saint Leo, FL | $60,389 | $21,293 | $19,602 | 78.4% |
| Saint Leo University admits 78% of applicants and shows median earnings of $60,389 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (240 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($60,389) | |||||
| 5 | Florida State University · Tallahassee, FL | $59,747 | $11,297 | $5,938 | 24.2% |
| Florida State University, a public university in Tallahassee, reports median earnings of $59,747 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $11,297. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (556 graduates), Security Science and Technology (38 graduates) | |||||
| 6 | Florida International University · Miami, FL | $55,830 | $9,288 | $7,003 | 54.7% |
| Ranking 14th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, Florida International University reports median earnings of $55,830 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (600 graduates), Security Science and Technology (40 graduates), Homeland Security (21 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($55,830) | |||||
| 7 | St. Thomas University · Miami Gardens, FL | $54,337 | $26,312 | $24,657 | 97.9% |
| St. Thomas University admits 98% of applicants and reports median earnings of $54,337 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (30 graduates) | |||||
| 8 | Florida Atlantic University · Boca Raton, FL | $53,935 | $8,752 | $3,022 | 66.1% |
| Florida Atlantic University posts an average net price of $8,752 and median earnings of $53,935 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (320 graduates), Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other (56 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other ($56,162), Criminal Justice and Corrections ($53,545) | |||||
| 9 | Florida Gulf Coast University · Fort Myers, FL | $53,454 | $12,568 | $8,220 | 63.4% |
| Matching the list median of $53,454, Florida Gulf Coast University reports median earnings of $53,454 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (148 graduates), Security Science and Technology (83 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($54,215), Security Science and Technology ($52,096) | |||||
| 10 | University of Central Florida · Orlando, FL | $53,138 | $10,411 | $5,816 | 40.1% |
| University of Central Florida graduates 78% of its students within six years and reports median earnings of $53,138 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (516 graduates), Security Science and Technology (42 graduates), Homeland Security (32 graduates) | |||||
| 11 | University of North Florida · Jacksonville, FL | $51,654 | $10,154 | $6,647 | 53.2% |
| An average net price of $10,154 coincides with median earnings of $51,654 for Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing at University of North Florida. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (174 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($51,654) | |||||
| 12 | Webber International University · Babson Park, FL | $49,224 | $29,529 | $27,801 | 69.4% |
| Webber International University ranks 1350th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $49,224 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (13 graduates) | |||||
| 13 | Southeastern University · Lakeland, FL | $48,343 | $31,942 | $29,498 | 53.0% |
| Southeastern University, a private nonprofit university in Lakeland, reports median earnings of $48,343 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $31,942. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (21 graduates) | |||||
| 14 | University of West Florida · Pensacola, FL | $46,631 | $9,364 | $4,815 | 58.2% |
| University of West Florida admits 58% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 59%, alongside an average net price of $4,815 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (83 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($46,631) | |||||
| 15 | Bethune-Cookman University · Daytona Beach, FL | $46,540 | $12,030 | $10,896 | 88.2% |
| Ranking 15th on this list, Bethune-Cookman University shows median earnings of $46,540 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 88%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (57 graduates) | |||||
| 16 | Florida Memorial University · Miami Gardens, FL | $45,656 | $23,238 | $21,882 | 85.3% |
| Florida Memorial University graduates 31% of its students within six years and reports an average net price of $23,238, with Criminal Justice graduates earning a median of $45,656 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (29 graduates) | |||||
| 17 | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University · Tallahassee, FL | $44,891 | $13,739 | $13,299 | 20.6% |
| With an admission rate of 21%, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University ranks 163rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and its Criminal Justice graduates earn a median of $44,891 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (124 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($44,891) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The figure is the median earnings of federally aided Criminal Justice completers who were working and not enrolled, measured after completing. For 1 of the 17 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. Barry University reports $103,746 two years after completing, which is $31,774 above the $71,972 posted by second-ranked Nova Southeastern University.
Job market context in Florida
Criminal Justice graduates in Florida enter a labor market that includes occupations such as Security Guards, Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers, and Firefighters. The median annual wage across those occupations is $58,745, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $48,696. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 11.8% higher, with about 39,730 openings a year. That works out to about 975 openings a year for every hundred graduates, which is 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, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures described here.
Related rankings
- Criminal Justice Colleges
- Best Criminal Justice Colleges in New York
- Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Texas
- Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Georgia
- Best Criminal Justice Colleges in California
- Criminal Justice Colleges in Florida for Social Mobility