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 nonprofit four-year institutions, 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, the top figure 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 admits 73% of applicants and its Criminal Justice graduates earn a median of $71,972 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% |
| Lynn University, a private nonprofit university in Boca Raton, has an average net price of $44,089 and a six-year completion rate of 52%. | |||||
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 ranks 4th on this list and shows an average net price of $19,602 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
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% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 86%, Florida State University reports median earnings of $59,747 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (556 graduates), Security Science and Technology (38 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($57,417) | |||||
| 6 | Florida International University · Miami, FL | $55,830 | $9,288 | $7,003 | 54.7% |
| Florida International University holds an Azimuth composite rank of 14th among nonprofit four-year institutions and 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, the most open admission rate on the page, and its Criminal Justice graduates earn a median of $54,337 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 carries the lowest average net price on the list at $8,752 and reports 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% |
| Median earnings for Criminal Justice graduates of Florida Gulf Coast University sit at $53,454 four years after completing, matching the list median of $53,454. | |||||
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 ranks 10th on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 78% and an average net price of $10,411. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (516 graduates), Security Science and Technology (42 graduates), Homeland Security (32 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($52,447) | |||||
| 11 | University of North Florida · Jacksonville, FL | $51,654 | $10,154 | $6,647 | 53.2% |
| An average net price of $6,647 for families earning under $30,000 accompanies median earnings of $51,654 for Criminal Justice graduates of University of North Florida four years after completing. | |||||
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 shows a six-year completion rate of 28% and 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 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 shows a six-year completion rate of 59%. | |||||
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% |
| Bethune-Cookman University ranks 15th on this list, with an average net price of $10,896 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
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 posts median earnings of $45,656 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 31%. | |||||
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% |
| A public university in Tallahassee, 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, highest first. Only schools with a reported Criminal Justice earnings cohort in Florida appear. The figure is the median earnings of federally aided Criminal Justice completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years 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