Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Georgia2026 Rankings
Georgia's higher-education landscape for Criminal Justice students includes 37 programs at institutions ranging from highly selective research universities to open-enrollment community colleges. The rankings below cut through marketing noise and use IPEDS federal data to show which programs give students the best return on their investment.
Key stats for this cohort: average in-state tuition $13,462, out-of-state tuition $20,444, average four-year graduation rate 41%, and median Criminal Justice graduate earnings $38,301/yr. The most selective program is at University of Georgia (37% acceptance rate). These figures are drawn directly from IPEDS federal data and refreshed weekly.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of GeorgiaPublic | Excellent· 43 | 37% | 87% | $14,400 | $37,405 | 17:1 | 102 | 31,310 |
| 2 | Mercer UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 66% | 73% | $22,627 | $37,319 | 13:1 | 67 | 4,620 |
| 3 | Valdosta State UniversityPublic | Strong· 34 | 83% | 42% | $12,659 | $35,398 | 17:1 | 43 | 6,858 |
| 4 | Fort Valley State UniversityPublic | Strong· 34 | 63% | 45% | $12,984 | $29,445 | 18:1 | 33 | 2,541 |
| 5 | Clayton State UniversityPublic | Strong· 34 | 71% | 35% | $11,506 | $30,200 | 17:1 | 33 | 4,390 |
| 6 | University of North GeorgiaPublic | Good· 33 | 72% | 37% | $11,167 | $41,598 | 18:1 | 39 | 15,542 |
| 7 | Reinhardt UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 55% | 36% | $27,952 | $62,019 | 11:1 | 29 | 1,012 |
| 8 | Georgia Southwestern State UniversityPublic | Good· 33 | 77% | 32% | $13,237 | $43,243 | 18:1 | 27 | 2,291 |
| 9 | Point UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 68% | 40% | $19,802 | $29,888 | 13:1 | 25 | 2,617 |
| 10 | Emmanuel UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 53% | 35% | $17,824 | $31,357 | 12:1 | 21 | 719 |
| 11 | Augusta UniversityPublic | Good· 31 | 89% | 49% | $13,829 | $29,397 | 16:1 | 37 | 5,282 |
| 12 | Toccoa Falls CollegePrivate | Good· 31 | 64% | 46% | $20,025 | $30,937 | 16:1 | 27 | 820 |
| 13 | Piedmont UniversityPrivate | Good· 30 | 93% | 41% | $17,980 | $51,333 | 12:1 | 47 | 1,235 |
| 14 | Columbus State UniversityPublic | Good· 30 | 99% | 42% | $13,287 | $39,714 | 18:1 | 33 | 5,537 |
| 15 | Thomas UniversityPrivate | Good· 30 | 43% | 28% | $20,893 | $52,991 | 11:1 | 16 | 813 |
| 16 | Georgia College & State UniversityPublic | Average· 29 | 88% | 62% | $18,262 | $39,133 | 16:1 | 37 | 5,599 |
| 17 | Shorter UniversityPrivate | Average· 29 | 97% | 37% | $17,363 | $34,829 | 15:1 | 36 | 1,091 |
| 18 | Middle Georgia State UniversityPublic | Average· 29 | 100% | 26% | $14,948 | $35,930 | 18:1 | 26 | 6,655 |
| 19 | Kennesaw State UniversityPublic | Average· 28 | 69% | 48% | $17,890 | $39,566 | 23:1 | 76 | 39,503 |
| 20 | Georgia State UniversityPublic | Average· 28 | 62% | 54% | $17,219 | $33,213 | 25:1 | 51 | 27,109 |
| 21 | DeVry University-GeorgiaPrivate | Average· 27 | 81% | 36% | $31,212 | $43,091 | 11:1 | 14 | 472 |
| 22 | Brewton-Parker CollegePrivate | Average· 27 | 86% | 23% | $23,924 | — | 14:1 | 23 | 684 |
| 23 | Georgia Southern UniversityPublic | Average· 26 | 90% | 52% | $16,475 | $35,266 | 24:1 | 72 | 21,029 |
| 24 | Clark Atlanta UniversityPrivate | Average· 26 | 65% | 48% | $37,249 | $27,715 | 16:1 | 29 | 3,482 |
| 25 | Georgia Gwinnett CollegePublic | Average· 26 | 96% | 20% | $12,810 | $45,821 | 20:1 | 17 | 11,156 |
| 26 | College of Coastal GeorgiaPublic | Fair· 25 | 99% | 26% | $14,440 | $31,119 | 20:1 | 16 | 2,794 |
| 27 | Savannah State UniversityPublic | Fair· 24 | — | 25% | $10,852 | $30,195 | 21:1 | 28 | 2,727 |
| 28 | Dalton State CollegePublic | Fair· 24 | — | 30% | $6,260 | $37,856 | 20:1 | 22 | 4,419 |
| 29 | Truett McConnell UniversityPrivate | Fair· 24 | 91% | 41% | $22,086 | $36,700 | 16:1 | 16 | 768 |
| 30 | Albany State UniversityPublic | Fair· 22 | — | 23% | $16,225 | $31,868 | 20:1 | 29 | 5,829 |