2026 Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Virginia

Criminal Justice & Police Science degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best criminal justice & police science schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Virginia

Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Police Science in Virginia

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the criminal justice & police science degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Criminal Justice & Police Science

1

University Of Virginia Main Campus
Charlottesville, VA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

25 Criminal Justice & Police Science Degrees Awarded

$69,126 Median Starting Salary

No school ranked higher than University Of Virginia Main Campus this year for criminal justice & police science. University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville. Roughly 96% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Virginia Main Campus awarded about 25 criminal justice & police science degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice & police science degree from University Of Virginia Main Campus earn around $69,126 in the first couple years of their career. University Of Virginia Main Campus graduates carry a median of $18,627 in student loans. More information about a degree in criminal justice & police science from University Of Virginia Main Campus

2

George Mason University
Fairfax, VA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

328 Criminal Justice & Police Science Degrees Awarded

$49,815 Median Starting Salary

Students looking for a strong criminal justice & police science program will find one at George Mason University, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a very large public institution. About 68% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 328 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at George Mason University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the criminal justice & police science program make about $49,815 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $20,761 to complete this degree. Get the full criminal justice & police science details for George Mason University

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 5 schools evaluated.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.