Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Wisconsin (2026)
Updated
This list ranks the 10 colleges in Wisconsin that report earnings for their Criminal Justice graduates. 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 Wisconsin appear. The top figure belongs to Marian University, at $70,934.
Across the listed schools, the median is $57,510, with a spread of $33,510 from $70,934 to $37,424. For 1 of the 10 listed schools the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list is evenly split: 5 public and 5 private nonprofit institutions. University of Wisconsin-Parkside posts the lowest average net price, at $11,772.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee ranks 214th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on the page.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Criminal Justice Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marian University · Fond Du Lac, WI | $70,934 | $21,937 | $17,449 | 75.0% |
| Marian University reports median earnings of $70,934 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (24 graduates) | |||||
| 2 | Carthage College · Kenosha, WI | $60,633 | $26,565 | $23,293 | 87.1% |
| A private nonprofit college in Kenosha, Carthage College admits 87% of applicants and shows a six-year completion rate of 64%. | |||||
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 ($60,633) | |||||
| 3 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire · Eau Claire, WI | $58,762 | $16,550 | $10,270 | 82.3% |
| University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire ranks 3rd on this page, with Criminal Justice graduates earning a median of $58,762 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (63 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($58,762) | |||||
| 4 | University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh · Oshkosh, WI | $58,489 | $14,305 | $9,236 | 86.5% |
| With an average net price of $14,305, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh posts median earnings of $58,489 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (68 graduates), Fire Protection (13 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($58,489) | |||||
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI | $58,223 | $15,014 | $10,329 | 90.7% |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee holds the strongest Azimuth composite rank on this list, placing 214th among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (139 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($58,223) | |||||
| 6 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville · Platteville, WI | $56,797 | $16,032 | $9,009 | 89.4% |
| Graduating 56% of its students within six years, University of Wisconsin-Platteville reports median earnings of $56,797 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (94 graduates), Security Science and Technology (40 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($59,533), Security Science and Technology ($50,368) | |||||
| 7 | Concordia University-Wisconsin · Mequon, WI | $56,188 | $36,201 | $34,991 | 78.2% |
| Concordia University-Wisconsin reports an average net price of $34,991 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $56,188 for its Criminal Justice graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (16 graduates), Security Science and Technology (6 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($56,188) | |||||
| 8 | University of Wisconsin-Parkside · Kenosha, WI | $54,156 | $11,772 | $7,425 | 75.4% |
| University of Wisconsin-Parkside carries the lowest average net price on the page at $11,772, and its Criminal Justice graduates earn a median of $54,156 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (60 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Criminal Justice and Corrections ($54,156) | |||||
| 9 | Carroll University · Waukesha, WI | $51,960 | $15,193 | $15,718 | 66.8% |
| Carroll University admits 67% of applicants, the most selective rate on this list, and reports a six-year completion rate of 71%. | |||||
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 ($51,960) | |||||
| 10 | Edgewood University · Madison, WI | $37,424 | $26,113 | $22,291 | 75.7% |
| Edgewood University reports median earnings of $37,424 for its Criminal Justice graduates two years after completing, the figure for this school measured at the two-year mark. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Criminal Justice and Corrections (5 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 Wisconsin appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 1 of the 10 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. The spread from Marian University to the bottom of the list is $33,510, and the gap between Marian University and second-ranked Carthage College is $10,301.
Job market context in Wisconsin
The labor market for Criminal Justice graduates in Wisconsin links to occupations such as Security Guards, Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers, and Firefighters. The median annual wage across those occupations is $64,934, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $54,882. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 2.5% higher, with 8,010 projected openings a year, or about 1,286 openings a year for every hundred graduates, suggesting 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.