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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Missouri

3 Colleges in the United States
198 Criminal Justice & Police Science Degrees Awarded
$43,440 Avg Early-Career Salary

Criminal Justice & Police Science programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice & police science students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Criminal Justice & Police Science in Missouri

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
Jefferson College crest
Jefferson College
Hillsboro, MO

Leading the list is Jefferson College, our #1 school for criminal justice & police science. This mid-sized public university is located in the rural area of Hillsboro. There were roughly 25 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Jefferson College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice & police science degree from Jefferson College earn around $61,641 in the first couple years of their career. Jefferson College graduates carry a median of $13,664 in student loans. Get the full criminal justice & police science details for Jefferson College

2

Students looking for a strong criminal justice & police science program will find one at Saint Louis Community College, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Bridgeton, Saint Louis Community College is a very large public institution. About 14 criminal justice & police science degrees were awarded at Saint Louis Community College in the most recent year. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Saint Louis Community College earn a median of $38,999 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $6,625 to complete this degree. Read more about the criminal justice & police science program at Saint Louis Community College

3

Metropolitan Community College Kansas City is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminal justice & police science, ranking #3. Metropolitan Community College Kansas City is a large public school located in the city of Kansas City. There were roughly 10 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Metropolitan Community College Kansas City in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Metropolitan Community College Kansas City generally make around $48,137. Students borrow a median of $4,821 to complete this degree. Get the full criminal justice & police science details for Metropolitan Community College Kansas City

4
Mineral Area College crest
Mineral Area College
Park Hills, MO

Mineral Area College is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminal justice & police science, ranking #4. This mid-sized public university is located in the town of Park Hills. There were roughly 33 criminal justice & police science students who graduated with this degree at Mineral Area College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their criminal justice & police science degree from Mineral Area College earn around $45,217 in the first couple years of their career. Mineral Area College graduates carry a median of $9,500 in student loans. Read more about the criminal justice & police science program at Mineral Area College

5

Students looking for a strong criminal justice & police science program will find one at Missouri Southern State University, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Joplin, Missouri Southern State University is a mid-sized public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 40%. About 95 criminal justice & police science degrees were awarded at Missouri Southern State University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Missouri Southern State University generally make around $32,776. Typical student debt for the program is $21,972. See the full criminal justice & police science program report for Missouri Southern State University

6
Crowder College crest
Crowder College
Neosho, MO

Crowder College earned the #6 position for criminal justice & police science this year. Set in the town of Neosho, Crowder College is a moderately-sized public institution. Crowder College awarded about 21 criminal justice & police science degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Crowder College generally make around $33,869. Typical student debt for the program is $9,887. See the full criminal justice & police science program report for Crowder College

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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 · 16 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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