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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Alabama

6 Colleges in the United States
324 Criminal Justice Studies Degrees Awarded
$43,069 Avg Early-Career Salary

Criminal Justice Studies degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their criminal justice studies programs.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools to find the best for criminal justice studies students.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Criminal Justice Studies in Alabama

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 studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Criminal Justice Studies

1

Auburn University At Montgomery tops our 2026 ranking of the best criminal justice studies schools. This moderately-sized public university is located in the city of Montgomery. Roughly 33% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 36 criminal justice studies degrees were awarded at Auburn University At Montgomery in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Auburn University At Montgomery generally make around $38,710. Typical student debt for the program is $25,635. See the full criminal justice studies program report for Auburn University At Montgomery

2

A rank of #2 makes Troy University one of the top schools for criminal justice studies. Troy University is a large public school located in the town of Troy. About 49% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 116 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at Troy University in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Troy University earn a median of $43,451 early in their careers. Troy University graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Read more about the criminal justice studies program at Troy University

3
Faulkner University crest
Faulkner University
Montgomery, AL

Faulkner University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best criminal justice studies schools. This mid-sized private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Montgomery. About 38% of students finish within six years. About 72 criminal justice studies degrees were awarded at Faulkner University in the most recent year. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Faulkner University earn a median of $60,669 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $28,250 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in criminal justice studies from Faulkner University

4

Jacksonville State University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best criminal justice studies schools. This large public university is located in the suburb of Jacksonville. About 55% of students finish within six years. Jacksonville State University awarded about 45 criminal justice studies degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Jacksonville State University generally make around $33,879. Jacksonville State University graduates carry a median of $27,192 in student loans. Read more about the criminal justice studies program at Jacksonville State University

5

Athens State University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice studies, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the town of Athens, Athens State University is a mid-sized public institution. There were roughly 10 criminal justice studies students who graduated with this degree at Athens State University in the most recent data year. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Athens State University earn a median of $48,808 early in their careers. Athens State University graduates carry a median of $27,389 in student loans. Get the full criminal justice studies details for Athens State University

6

Alabama State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best criminal justice studies schools. Set in the city of Montgomery, Alabama State University is a mid-sized public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 30%. About 45 criminal justice studies degrees were awarded at Alabama State University in the most recent year. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Alabama State University earn a median of $32,898 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $32,261. Get the full criminal justice studies details for Alabama State University

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Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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