Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Illinois (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 24 Criminal Justice programs in Illinois by median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. Across the 22 schools with a reported completion median, median earnings range from $108,135 at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale to $46,004, with a median of $58,966. The gap between the top two schools is $29,970.
The list includes 10 public and 14 private nonprofit institutions. University of Illinois Chicago ranks 17th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally, and University of Illinois Springfield posts the lowest average net price at $9,833.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Criminal Justice Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $108,135 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale reports $108,135 in median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list and well above the $58,966 median across the 24 Criminal Justice programs in Illinois. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fire Protection (36 graduates) | |||||
| 2 | Trinity Christian College · Palos Heights, IL | $78,165 | $19,125 | $12,891 | 84.9% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Palos Heights, Trinity Christian College ranks 2nd on this page with median earnings of $78,165 four years after completing a Criminal Justice degree. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (5 graduates) | |||||
| 3 | Western Illinois University · Macomb, IL | $63,495 | $12,937 | $6,941 | 71.2% |
| Western Illinois University posts a six-year completion rate of 45% and an average net price of $12,937, alongside median earnings of $63,495 for its Criminal Justice graduates. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (199 graduates), Fire Protection (14 graduates) | |||||
| 4 | Roosevelt University · Chicago, IL | $63,081 | $20,194 | $18,018 | 97.2% |
| With an admission rate of 97%, Roosevelt University ranks 4th on this list and reports $63,081 in median earnings for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (37 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($63,081) | |||||
| 5 | Benedictine University · Lisle, IL | $63,033 | $22,313 | $20,168 | 95.2% |
| Benedictine University reports median earnings of $63,033 for Criminal Justice graduates and an average net price of $20,168 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (29 graduates) | |||||
| 6 | Lewis University · Romeoville, IL | $62,640 | $17,028 | $10,382 | 71.3% |
| Ranking 6th on this page, Lewis University shows a six-year completion rate of 67% and median earnings of $62,640 four years after completing a Criminal Justice degree. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (113 graduates), Security Science and Technology (22 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($62,640) | |||||
| 7 | Illinois State University · Normal, IL | $62,506 | $19,398 | $11,568 | 88.2% |
| Illinois State University ranks 137th on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally and reports $62,506 in median earnings for its Criminal Justice graduates. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (146 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($62,506) | |||||
| 8 | University of St Francis · Joliet, IL | $61,741 | $13,006 | $8,547 | 65.3% |
| A private nonprofit university in Joliet, University of St Francis admits 65% of applicants and reports median earnings of $61,741 for Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (7 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($61,741) | |||||
| 9 | Aurora University · Aurora, IL | $60,808 | $18,838 | $14,525 | 80.9% |
| Aurora University reports $60,808 in median earnings for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $18,838. | |||||
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 ($60,808) | |||||
| 10 | Loyola University Chicago · Chicago, IL | $59,525 | $36,079 | $28,992 | 81.6% |
| Ranking 10th on this list, Loyola University Chicago posts a six-year completion rate of 73% alongside median earnings of $59,525 four years after completing a Criminal Justice degree. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (88 graduates), Security Science and Technology (26 graduates) | |||||
| 11 | University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL | $59,295 | $10,974 | $7,529 | 77.4% |
| University of Illinois Chicago admits 77% of applicants and reports $59,295 in median earnings for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (223 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($59,295) | |||||
| 12 | Bradley University · Peoria, IL | $58,636 | $22,719 | $17,269 | 76.8% |
| Bradley University reports an average net price of $17,269 for families earning under $30,000 and $58,636 in median earnings for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (18 graduates) | |||||
| 13 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville · Edwardsville, IL | $57,915 | $14,889 | $8,483 | 97.5% |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville admits 98% of applicants and reports a six-year completion rate of 57%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (95 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($57,915) | |||||
| 14 | Chicago State University · Chicago, IL | $57,691 | $12,335 | $9,073 | 43.3% |
| Chicago State University, a public university in Chicago, has an admission rate of 43% and an average net price of $12,335. | |||||
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 ($57,691) | |||||
| 15 | Saint Xavier University · Chicago, IL | $56,414 | $10,970 | $7,572 | 84.3% |
| Saint Xavier University reports $56,414 in median earnings for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (37 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($56,414) | |||||
| 16 | Governors State University · University Park, IL | $55,811 | $12,329 | $9,563 | 48.3% |
| Governors State University ranks 254th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows a six-year completion rate of 22%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (55 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($55,811) | |||||
| 17 | University of Illinois Springfield · Springfield, IL | $55,780 | $9,833 | $5,778 | 85.9% |
| University of Illinois Springfield carries an average net price of $9,833, the lowest on this list, and an admission rate of 86%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (24 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($55,780) | |||||
| 18 | Northeastern Illinois University · Chicago, IL | $53,121 | $14,109 | $13,709 | 74.6% |
| Northeastern Illinois University reports $53,121 in median earnings for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing, below the page median of $58,966. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (37 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($53,121) | |||||
| 19 | Eureka College · Eureka, IL | $52,845 | $17,349 | $13,711 | 85.0% |
| Eureka College graduates 42% within six years and posts an average net price of $13,711 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (19 graduates) | |||||
| 20 | Olivet Nazarene University · Bourbonnais, IL | $51,300 | $20,729 | $17,232 | 55.9% |
| Olivet Nazarene University admits 56% of applicants and reports a six-year completion rate of 61%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (23 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($51,300) | |||||
| 21 | Elmhurst University · Elmhurst, IL | $49,480 | $24,185 | $17,892 | 73.6% |
| Elmhurst University reports $49,480 in median earnings for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing and a six-year completion rate of 70%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (23 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($49,480) | |||||
| 22 | Blackburn College · Carlinville, IL | $46,004 | $18,460 | $16,838 | 63.2% |
| Blackburn College ranks 1316th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and carries an average net price of $18,460. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (11 graduates) | |||||
| 23 | Greenville University · Greenville, IL | $42,846 | $19,533 | $19,181 | 97.5% |
| Greenville University admits 98% of applicants and has an average net price of $19,181 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (18 graduates) | |||||
| 24 | Eastern Illinois University · Charleston, IL | $40,489 | $12,786 | $9,828 | 65.4% |
| Eastern Illinois University reports a six-year completion rate of 47% and an average net price of $12,786. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (29 graduates) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing, highest first. 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 of attendance, or the characteristics of the students who enroll, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The figures cited on this page cover the 22 schools with a reported completion median. Southern Illinois University-Carbondale leads the list at $108,135, a gap of $29,970 above Trinity Christian College in second place.
Job market context in Illinois
Criminal Justice graduates in Illinois enter occupations such as Security Guards, Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers, and Firefighters. The median annual wage across those occupations is $68,608, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $56,089. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 3.6% higher, with about 1,254 openings a year for every hundred graduates, 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; these market figures describe the broader occupations, and the two are not the same measure.
Related rankings
- Criminal Justice Colleges
- Best Colleges in Illinois
- Best Criminal Justice Colleges in New York
- Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Texas
- Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Florida
- Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Georgia
- Criminal Justice Colleges in Illinois for Social Mobility