Best Criminal Justice Colleges in California2026 Rankings
With 41 Criminal Justice programs spread across California, narrowing your list takes real data. Our algorithm ranks each school on six factors — admission rate, graduation rate, net price, median graduate earnings, student-faculty ratio, and major breadth — so you can compare apples to apples before you apply.
California offers 16 public and 14 private Criminal Justice programs in this ranking. Public universities average $19,092 for in-state students, making them a strong value option. The most competitive school on the list — Alliant International University-San Diego — accepts 0% of applicants. Early-career earnings for Criminal Justice graduates average $38,391, with a state-wide graduation rate of 54% for ranked programs.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fresno Pacific UniversityPrivate | Great· 39 | 58% | 56% | $11,116 | $42,313 | 8:1 | 62 | 1,614 |
| 2 | California State University-Long BeachPublic | Great· 38 | 47% | 70% | $9,063 | $34,247 | 19:1 | 84 | 34,131 |
| 3 | San Diego State UniversityPublic | Strong· 36 | 34% | 78% | $14,205 | $33,261 | 22:1 | 79 | 33,654 |
| 4 | William Jessup UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 77% | 61% | $18,555 | $39,364 | 9:1 | 28 | 1,021 |
| 5 | California Lutheran UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 89% | 74% | $23,759 | $43,122 | 13:1 | 38 | 2,374 |
| 6 | San Jose State UniversityPublic | Strong· 34 | 80% | 65% | $12,948 | $58,993 | 18:1 | 90 | 26,757 |
| 7 | Azusa Pacific UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 79% | 64% | $20,848 | $40,091 | 10:1 | 48 | 2,977 |
| 8 | California State University-Dominguez HillsPublic | Good· 33 | 91% | 47% | $4,942 | $36,092 | 18:1 | 59 | 12,642 |
| 9 | Sonoma State UniversityPublic | Good· 33 | 95% | 61% | $12,751 | $38,444 | 15:1 | 38 | 5,374 |
| 10 | California State University-BakersfieldPublic | Good· 33 | 88% | 49% | $6,183 | $38,105 | 16:1 | 40 | 8,183 |
| 11 | California State University-StanislausPublic | Good· 33 | 97% | 58% | $6,347 | $34,806 | 16:1 | 38 | 8,564 |
| 12 | California State University-FullertonPublic | Good· 33 | 87% | 69% | $5,438 | $34,570 | 22:1 | 60 | 36,956 |
| 13 | California State University-San BernardinoPublic | Good· 32 | 98% | 55% | $6,381 | $35,029 | 19:1 | 63 | 15,771 |
| 14 | Woodbury UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 73% | 55% | $25,615 | $39,998 | 9:1 | 21 | 825 |
| 15 | La Sierra UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 93% | 68% | $25,297 | $34,885 | 11:1 | 50 | 1,155 |
| 16 | California State University-FresnoPublic | Good· 32 | 96% | 55% | $7,220 | $32,257 | 18:1 | 83 | 21,070 |
| 17 | California State University-Los AngelesPublic | Good· 32 | 92% | 53% | $5,373 | $32,974 | 19:1 | 61 | 21,478 |
| 18 | San Francisco State UniversityPublic | Good· 31 | 96% | 50% | $12,916 | $42,211 | 16:1 | 86 | 20,033 |
| 19 | California State University-East BayPublic | Good· 31 | 97% | 46% | $11,087 | $45,387 | 17:1 | 44 | 10,422 |
| 20 | California State University-ChicoPublic | Good· 30 | 94% | 64% | $13,937 | $36,045 | 20:1 | 83 | 13,057 |
| 21 | Point Loma Nazarene UniversityPrivate | Good· 30 | 82% | 74% | $49,500 | $45,022 | 13:1 | 58 | 3,132 |
| 22 | California State University-NorthridgePublic | Good· 30 | 93% | 56% | $8,897 | $34,870 | 21:1 | 76 | 32,357 |
| 23 | California State University-SacramentoPublic | Good· 30 | 94% | 56% | $10,861 | $38,606 | 21:1 | 58 | 27,867 |
| 24 | San Diego Christian CollegePrivate | Average· 29 | 63% | 24% | $30,336 | $34,809 | 10:1 | 15 | 91 |
| 25 | California Baptist UniversityPrivate | Average· 28 | 74% | 60% | $23,799 | $35,960 | 20:1 | 78 | 7,914 |
| 26 | Humphreys University-Stockton and Modesto CampusesPrivate | Average· 26 | — | 50% | $2,534 | $50,201 | 5:1 | 8 | 178 |
| 27 | Hope International UniversityPrivate | Fair· 25 | 35% | 46% | $33,153 | $35,979 | 13:1 | 17 | 549 |
| 28 | Alliant International University-San DiegoPrivate | Fair· 23 | 0% | 22% | $13,918 | $63,266 | 10:1 | 9 | 355 |
| 29 | DeVry University-CaliforniaPrivate | Weak· 21 | 43% | 43% | $33,875 | $43,091 | 18:1 | 14 | 2,081 |
| 30 | Ashford UniversityPrivate | Weak· 20 | — | 9% | $26,377 | $47,869 | 16:1 | 55 | 23,734 |