Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Illinois2026 Rankings
Illinois is home to 33 accredited institutions offering Criminal Justice programs — from large public research universities to small private liberal arts colleges. This ranking evaluates each school on admission selectivity, four-year graduation rate, net price, and graduate earnings to surface the programs that deliver the strongest outcomes.
Among the schools listed here, Chicago State University is the most selective, admitting 41% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $26,389, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $28,604. Median early-career earnings for Criminal Justice graduates in this state average $38,640 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 53%.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Millikin UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 54% | 59% | $7,953 | $40,104 | 10:1 | 45 | 1,458 |
| 2 | University of St FrancisPrivate | Great· 40 | 64% | 65% | $15,264 | $43,793 | 13:1 | 41 | 1,292 |
| 3 | Bradley UniversityPrivate | Great· 39 | 77% | 72% | $19,392 | $51,073 | 11:1 | 78 | 3,865 |
| 4 | University of Illinois SpringfieldPublic | Great· 38 | 84% | 61% | $7,999 | $41,064 | 14:1 | 31 | 2,292 |
| 5 | Illinois CollegePrivate | Strong· 37 | 75% | 61% | $14,241 | $37,109 | 11:1 | 46 | 925 |
| 6 | Chicago State UniversityPublic | Strong· 37 | 41% | 17% | $12,729 | $35,419 | 10:1 | 29 | 1,414 |
| 7 | University of Illinois ChicagoPublic | Strong· 35 | 79% | 60% | $12,887 | $34,551 | 17:1 | 68 | 21,814 |
| 8 | Northeastern Illinois UniversityPublic | Strong· 35 | 70% | 17% | $15,777 | $40,719 | 12:1 | 39 | 3,869 |
| 9 | Quincy UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 50% | 43% | $15,110 | $37,447 | 14:1 | 39 | 1,038 |
| 10 | Eastern Illinois UniversityPublic | Strong· 35 | 68% | 45% | $12,371 | $40,489 | 15:1 | 55 | 4,398 |
| 11 | Trinity Christian CollegePrivate | Strong· 35 | 89% | 64% | $11,213 | $46,878 | 10:1 | 45 | 796 |
| 12 | Western Illinois UniversityPublic | Strong· 35 | 75% | 45% | $11,608 | $40,898 | 14:1 | 71 | 4,939 |
| 13 | North Park UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 73% | 56% | $17,712 | $43,519 | 11:1 | 50 | 1,844 |
| 14 | Loyola University ChicagoPrivate | Strong· 34 | 81% | 77% | $32,527 | $38,953 | 13:1 | 74 | 11,576 |
| 15 | Blackburn CollegePrivate | Strong· 34 | 80% | 52% | $20,872 | $33,739 | 9:1 | 41 | 341 |
| 16 | Southern Illinois University-CarbondalePublic | Strong· 34 | 90% | 56% | $13,206 | $42,911 | 11:1 | 89 | 8,116 |
| 17 | Judson UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 63% | 53% | $23,558 | $40,559 | 11:1 | 41 | 780 |
| 18 | Elmhurst UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 76% | 65% | $20,115 | $38,352 | 14:1 | 55 | 2,954 |
| 19 | Lewis UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 73% | 63% | $17,911 | $37,583 | 14:1 | 59 | 3,665 |
| 20 | Olivet Nazarene UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 67% | 60% | $19,653 | $34,877 | 14:1 | 61 | 2,485 |
| 21 | Southern Illinois University-EdwardsvillePublic | Good· 32 | 97% | 55% | $11,954 | $39,279 | 15:1 | 47 | 8,836 |
| 22 | Benedictine UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 77% | 51% | $23,587 | $46,020 | 13:1 | 52 | 1,817 |
| 23 | Saint Xavier UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 86% | 59% | $11,794 | $39,033 | 15:1 | 43 | 3,030 |
| 24 | Roosevelt UniversityPrivate | Good· 31 | 94% | 41% | $19,274 | $41,203 | 11:1 | 54 | 2,583 |
| 25 | Illinois State UniversityPublic | Good· 31 | 89% | 66% | $16,424 | $37,584 | 19:1 | 66 | 18,414 |
| 26 | Trinity International University-IllinoisPrivate | Good· 31 | 93% | 46% | $22,119 | $40,161 | 9:1 | 26 | 140 |
| 27 | Greenville UniversityPrivate | Good· 30 | 95% | 51% | $19,800 | $35,775 | 12:1 | 39 | 873 |
| 28 | Concordia University-ChicagoPrivate | Good· 30 | 93% | 47% | $17,318 | $58,149 | 13:1 | 53 | 1,337 |
| 29 | Aurora UniversityPrivate | Average· 29 | 85% | 58% | $16,984 | $44,150 | 18:1 | 47 | 4,021 |
| 30 | Governors State UniversityPublic | Average· 28 | — | 20% | $11,856 | $42,456 | 11:1 | 27 | 2,518 |