2026 Best Criminal Justice Schools in District of Columbia

Criminal Justice 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.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for criminal justice students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best Criminal Justice Schools in District of Columbia

Best Schools for Criminal Justice in District of Columbia

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 degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Criminal Justice

1

Strayer University Global Region
Washington, DC

Associate's Degree Highest Degree Type

58 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded

$43,405 Median Starting Salary

Our analysis ranked Strayer University Global Region the best school in the country for a degree in criminal justice. Set in the city of Washington, Strayer University Global Region is a large private for-profit institution. Strayer University Global Region graduates 8% of students within six years. Strayer University Global Region awarded about 58 criminal justice degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the criminal justice program make about $43,405 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $56,937. Get the full criminal justice details for Strayer University Global Region

2

Trinity Washington University
Washington, DC

Associate's Degree Highest Degree Type

16 Criminal Justice Degrees Awarded

$47,385 Median Starting Salary

Trinity Washington University is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in criminal justice, ranking #2. Located in the city of Washington, Trinity Washington University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Roughly 49% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 16 criminal justice degrees were awarded at Trinity Washington University in the most recent year. Students who receive their criminal justice degree from Trinity Washington University earn around $47,385 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $33,564 to complete this degree. Read more about the criminal justice program at Trinity Washington University

Notes and References

The ranking above is published 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 · 3 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.