Best Criminal Justice Colleges in New Jersey (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 16 colleges in New Jersey that report a Criminal Justice earnings cohort, by the median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. Thomas Edison State University ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $78,651 four years after completing.
Across the listed schools, the figure ranges from $78,651 to $50,173, with a median of $58,376.
The list includes 7 public and 9 private nonprofit institutions. Saint Peter's University posts the lowest average net price at $12,199, while The College of New Jersey reports the highest six-year completion rate at 86%.
Rutgers University-New Brunswick ranks 30th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Criminal Justice Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thomas Edison State University · Trenton, NJ | $78,651 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Thomas Edison State University reports $78,651 in median earnings of Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other (35 graduates), Criminal Justice and Corrections (31 graduates) | |||||
| 2 | Monmouth University · West Long Branch, NJ | $67,842 | $30,988 | $18,924 | 89.0% |
| Monmouth University ranks 2nd on this list and shows an average net price of $18,924 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (33 graduates), Homeland Security (32 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($67,842) | |||||
| 3 | Centenary University · Hackettstown, NJ | $67,181 | $20,503 | $13,329 | 83.1% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 56%, Centenary University posts $67,181 in median earnings for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (20 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($67,181) | |||||
| 4 | Felician University · Lodi, NJ | $66,879 | $40,045 | $39,626 | Not reported |
| Felician University ranks 234th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $66,879 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
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 ($66,879) | |||||
| 5 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick · New Brunswick, NJ | $61,817 | $24,406 | $16,343 | 58.2% |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick admits 58% of applicants and its Criminal Justice graduates earn a median of $61,817 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (194 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($61,817) | |||||
| 6 | The College of New Jersey · Ewing, NJ | $61,605 | $27,646 | $7,908 | 62.3% |
| The College of New Jersey graduates 86% of its students within six years and reports an average net price of $7,908 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (59 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($61,605) | |||||
| 7 | New Jersey City University · Jersey City, NJ | $59,644 | $16,053 | $14,005 | 98.4% |
| New Jersey City University ranks 7th on this list, with an admission rate of 98% and median earnings of $59,644 for its Criminal Justice graduates. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (94 graduates), Homeland Security (61 graduates), Fire Protection (20 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fire Protection ($69,444), Homeland Security ($63,137), Criminal Justice and Corrections ($55,293) | |||||
| 8 | Kean University · Union, NJ | $58,644 | $12,447 | $7,374 | 75.9% |
| Kean University reports an average net price of $12,447 and median earnings of $58,644 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (155 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($58,644) | |||||
| 9 | William Paterson University of New Jersey · Wayne, NJ | $58,108 | $18,745 | $16,171 | 90.1% |
| William Paterson University of New Jersey ranks 287th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows a six-year completion rate of 44%. | |||||
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 ($58,108) | |||||
| 10 | Rowan University · Glassboro, NJ | $57,092 | $22,408 | $15,305 | 77.7% |
| Rowan University admits 78% of applicants and reports an average net price of $15,305 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (259 graduates), Homeland Security (39 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($56,226) | |||||
| 11 | Georgian Court University · Lakewood, NJ | $56,472 | $19,285 | $12,683 | 78.8% |
| Georgian Court University ranks 11th on this list, with median earnings of $56,472 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (13 graduates) | |||||
| 12 | Saint Peter's University · Jersey City, NJ | $56,438 | $12,199 | $10,783 | 90.3% |
| Saint Peter's University posts the lowest average net price on the page at $12,199 and reports a six-year completion rate of 58%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (46 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($56,438) | |||||
| 13 | Seton Hall University · South Orange, NJ | $55,265 | $31,446 | $19,623 | 73.3% |
| Seton Hall University reports median earnings of $55,265 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $19,623 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (38 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($55,265) | |||||
| 14 | Caldwell University · Caldwell, NJ | $54,225 | $24,691 | $18,059 | 71.3% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 57%, Caldwell University ranks 14th on this list and posts median earnings of $54,225 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (26 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($54,225) | |||||
| 15 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus · Teaneck, NJ | $51,148 | $15,404 | $10,218 | 90.7% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus admits 91% of applicants and its Criminal Justice graduates earn a median of $51,148 four years after completing. | |||||
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 ($51,148) | |||||
| 16 | Rider University · Lawrenceville, NJ | $50,173 | $24,792 | $15,824 | 78.6% |
| Rider University ranks 852nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Criminal Justice graduates earn a median of $50,173 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (43 graduates) | |||||
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 New Jersey appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing the program. The metric 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 16 schools with a published figure. Thomas Edison State University leads the list at $78,651, and the gap to second-ranked Monmouth University is $10,809.
Job market context in New Jersey
The labor market linked to Criminal Justice in New Jersey includes occupations such as Security Guards, Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers, and Firefighters. The median annual wage across those occupations is $74,301, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $60,018. Projected annual openings total 15,250, or about 882 openings a year for every hundred graduates, which means more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 1.1% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing, a different measure from the occupational wage and opening figures described here.
Related rankings
- Criminal Justice Colleges
- Best Colleges in New Jersey
- 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 New Jersey for Social Mobility