by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2025, College Factual analyzed 70 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,766 associate degrees in criminal justice & corrections during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology
The criminal justice associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality criminal justice program can vary widely even among the top schools. Below we explain some of the most important factors to consider before making your choice:
The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their associate degree from the school. After all, your associate degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.
In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for criminal justice & corrections students working on their associate degree.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for criminal justice & corrections students seeking a an associate degree. Only those schools that rank in the top 20% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.
It's difficult to beat Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale if you wish to pursue an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Fort Lauderdale.
Soon after graduating, criminal justice associate recipients typically make about $33,292 in their early careers.
More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale
Columbia Southern University is a good decision for students pursuing an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the fringe town of Orange Beach, Columbia Southern University is a private for-profit university with a fairly large student population.
Associate recipients from the criminal justice & corrections degree program at Columbia Southern University get $25,694 above the average college graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Columbia Southern University
American Public University System is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the fringe town of Charles Town, American Military University is a private for-profit university with a very large student population.
Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their associate degree from American Public University System make $14,431 more than the average criminal justice student.
More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from American Public University System
It's difficult to beat Liberty University if you want to pursue an associate degree in criminal justice & corrections. Located in the small city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population.
Associate recipients from the criminal justice & corrections major at Liberty University get $10,740 more than the typical college grad in this field shortly after graduation.
More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Liberty University
Located in the city of Tampa, HCC is a public college with a very large student population.
Associate graduates who receive their degree from the criminal justice program earn about $33,013 for their early career.
More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Hillsborough Community College
Located in the large suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public college with a very large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Northern Virginia Community College
Located in the city of Sanford, Seminole State is a public college with a large student population.
Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their associate degree from Seminole State College of Florida receive $4,042 more than the typical criminal justice graduate.
More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Seminole State College of Florida
BC is a fairly large public college located in the medium-sized city of Fort Lauderdale.
Those criminal justice & corrections students who get their associate degree from Broward College receive $2,060 more than the average criminal justice graduate.
More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Broward College
Located in the city of Orlando, Valencia College is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Students who graduate with their associate from the criminal justice program report average early career wages of $33,246.
More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Valencia College
Located in the fringe town of Saint Leo, St. Leo University is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.
Criminal Justice & Corrections associate degree recipients from Saint Leo University receive an earnings boost of around $4,689 over the typical income of criminal justice & corrections graduates.
More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Saint Leo University
Augusta Technical College is a small public college located in the city of Augusta.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Augusta Technical College
Located in the city of Jacksonville, FSCJ is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Florida State College at Jacksonville
Located in the large city of St. Petersburg, SPC is a public college with a fairly large student population.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from St Petersburg College
Indian River State College is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Fort Pierce.More information about a associate in criminal justice & corrections from Indian River State College
Here are some additional great schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections students in the Southeast Region that almost earned our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Southeast Region award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Rasmussen University - Florida | Ocala, FL |
| 16 | Miami Dade College | Miami, FL |
| 17 | University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Little Rock, AR |
| 18 | Polk State College | Winter Haven, FL |
| 19 | Bethel University | McKenzie, TN |
| 20 | Central Piedmont Community College | Charlotte, NC |
| 21 | Eastern Florida State College | Melbourne, FL |
| 22 | Rowan-Cabarrus Community College | Salisbury, NC |
| 23 | Gaston College | Dallas, NC |
Explore the best criminal justice & corrections schools for a specific state in the Southeast Region .
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 143 | 170 |
| Georgia | 121 | 646 |
| Florida | 121 | 818 |
| North Carolina | 120 | 789 |
| Arkansas | 105 | 197 |
| Tennessee | 102 | 210 |
| Virginia | 97 | 571 |
| West Virginia | 92 | 211 |
| Kentucky | 90 | 244 |
| Louisiana | 80 | 260 |
| South Carolina | 77 | 278 |
| Alabama | 69 | 278 |
One of 4 majors within the Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Firefighting area of study, Criminal Justice & Corrections has other similar majors worth exploring.
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Criminal Justice Studies | 1,996 |
| Criminal Justice | 1,127 |
| Criminal Justice & Police Science | 470 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections, General | 62 |
| Other Corrections & Criminal Justice | 51 |
| Corrections | 47 |
| Law Enforcement Investigation & Interviewing | 13 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Fire Protection | 991 |
| Security Science and Technology | 348 |
| Homeland Security | 162 |
| Other Homeland Security | 38 |