Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Massachusetts (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 20 colleges in Massachusetts that report a Criminal Justice earnings cohort, ordered by the median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. Anna Maria College leads the list at $97,937, and the figures range from $97,937 down to $50,021, with a median of $64,292 across the 20 schools.
The list includes 8 public and 12 private nonprofit institutions. University of Massachusetts-Boston ranks 122nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on the page.
Worcester State University posts the lowest average net price at $13,381, and Northeastern University reports the highest six-year completion rate at 91%.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Criminal Justice Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anna Maria College · Paxton, MA | $97,937 | $28,333 | $25,554 | 50.3% |
| Anna Maria College reports $97,937 in median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list, and ranks 813th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fire Protection (67 graduates), Criminal Justice and Corrections (37 graduates), Security Science and Technology (11 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fire Protection ($110,044) | |||||
| 2 | Massachusetts Maritime Academy · Buzzards Bay, MA | $85,256 | $21,582 | $8,757 | 94.7% |
| A public university in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts Maritime Academy posts median earnings of $85,256 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing alongside a 74% six-year completion rate. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other (62 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other ($85,256) | |||||
| 3 | Fisher College · Boston, MA | $80,136 | $26,649 | $25,071 | 70.7% |
| Fisher College admits 71% of applicants and its Criminal Justice graduates earn a median of $80,136 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (24 graduates) | |||||
| 4 | Northeastern University · Boston, MA | $77,477 | $30,915 | $2,264 | 5.2% |
| With an admission rate of 5%, Northeastern University is the most selective school on the page and reports $77,477 in median earnings for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (62 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($77,477) | |||||
| 5 | Nichols College · Dudley, MA | $75,321 | $33,036 | $22,054 | 80.8% |
| Nichols College reports an average net price of $33,036 and median earnings of $75,321 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
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 ($75,321) | |||||
| 6 | Merrimack College · North Andover, MA | $69,615 | $37,927 | $31,710 | 70.0% |
| Merrimack College graduates 70% of its students within six years and its Criminal Justice completers earn a median of $69,615 four years after graduating. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (66 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($69,615) | |||||
| 7 | Westfield State University · Westfield, MA | $67,363 | $16,721 | $10,751 | 81.4% |
| Westfield State University ranks 7th on this list with median earnings of $67,363 and carries an average net price of $16,721. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (151 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($67,363) | |||||
| 8 | University of Massachusetts-Lowell · Lowell, MA | $66,258 | $17,163 | $9,943 | 83.0% |
| University of Massachusetts-Lowell holds an Azimuth composite rank of 142nd among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports $66,258 in median earnings for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (207 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($66,258) | |||||
| 9 | Worcester State University · Worcester, MA | $65,588 | $13,381 | $8,793 | 88.0% |
| Worcester State University posts the lowest average net price on the page at $13,381 while its Criminal Justice graduates earn a median of $65,588 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (97 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($65,588) | |||||
| 10 | Curry College · Milton, MA | $64,406 | $29,207 | $23,806 | 87.7% |
| Curry College admits 88% of applicants and its Criminal Justice completers report median earnings of $64,406 four years after graduating. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (71 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($64,406) | |||||
| 11 | Bridgewater State University · Bridgewater, MA | $64,178 | $16,383 | $10,007 | 87.8% |
| Bridgewater State University reports an average net price of $16,383 and a six-year completion rate of 53% alongside median earnings of $64,178 for its Criminal Justice graduates. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (164 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($64,178) | |||||
| 12 | Fitchburg State University · Fitchburg, MA | $62,396 | $14,262 | $10,204 | 86.9% |
| Fitchburg State University ranks 12th on this list with median earnings of $62,396 four years after completing and an average net price of $14,262. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (75 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($62,396) | |||||
| 13 | University of Massachusetts-Boston · Boston, MA | $62,222 | $17,707 | $14,070 | 83.8% |
| University of Massachusetts-Boston, a public university in Boston, reports $62,222 in median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing and ranks 122nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (145 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($62,222) | |||||
| 14 | Springfield College · Springfield, MA | $60,494 | $30,587 | $22,519 | 71.9% |
| Springfield College posts a six-year completion rate of 74% alongside median earnings of $60,494 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (15 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($60,494) | |||||
| 15 | Western New England University · Springfield, MA | $60,486 | $27,290 | $20,726 | 83.5% |
| With an admission rate of 83%, Western New England University reports $60,486 in median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $27,290. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (42 graduates) | |||||
| 16 | Salem State University · Salem, MA | $59,774 | $15,996 | $10,516 | 95.9% |
| Salem State University shows an average net price of $10,516 for families earning under $30,000, and its Criminal Justice graduates earn a median of $59,774 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (81 graduates), Fire Protection (10 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($59,774) | |||||
| 17 | Endicott College · Beverly, MA | $58,605 | $40,654 | $29,780 | 71.2% |
| Endicott College shows a six-year completion rate of 76% and reports $58,605 in median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (27 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($58,605) | |||||
| 18 | Bay Path University · Longmeadow, MA | $56,262 | $14,271 | $11,948 | 85.2% |
| Bay Path University ranks 549th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports $56,262 in median earnings for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Security Science and Technology (16 graduates), Criminal Justice and Corrections (5 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Security Science and Technology ($56,262) | |||||
| 19 | College of Our Lady of the Elms · Chicopee, MA | $56,168 | $17,545 | $8,099 | 85.3% |
| College of Our Lady of the Elms admits 85% of applicants and reports an average net price of $8,099 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (14 graduates) | |||||
| 20 | American International College · Springfield, MA | $50,021 | $23,274 | $24,437 | 99.6% |
| American International College reports $50,021 in median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 100%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (29 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($50,021) | |||||
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 Massachusetts 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 who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 20 schools with a published figure. Anna Maria College leads the list at $97,937, and the gap to second-ranked Massachusetts Maritime Academy is $12,681.
Job market context in Massachusetts
Criminal Justice graduates in Massachusetts enter a labor market linked to occupations such as Security Guards, Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers, and Firefighters. Across those occupations the median annual wage is $76,167, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $63,550. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 11,270 openings a year, or about 712 openings a year for every hundred graduates, with more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 2.8% higher. 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.
Related rankings
- Criminal Justice Colleges
- Best Colleges in Massachusetts
- 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 Massachusetts for Social Mobility