Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Kansas2026 Rankings
With 17 Criminal Justice programs spread across Kansas, 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.
Kansas offers 5 public and 12 private Criminal Justice programs in this ranking. Public universities average $23,467 for in-state students, making them a strong value option. The most competitive school on the list — Newman University — accepts 48% of applicants. Early-career earnings for Criminal Justice graduates average $39,738, with a state-wide graduation rate of 44% for ranked programs.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sterling CollegePrivate | Strong· 35 | 53% | 29% | $21,760 | $33,594 | 9:1 | 42 | 569 |
| 2 | Newman UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 48% | 54% | $17,055 | $45,412 | 13:1 | 38 | 857 |
| 3 | Southwestern CollegePrivate | Good· 33 | 65% | 34% | $24,641 | $60,820 | 11:1 | 44 | 1,026 |
| 4 | Friends UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 56% | 61% | $23,404 | $34,522 | 14:1 | 40 | 1,015 |
| 5 | MidAmerica Nazarene UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 73% | 46% | $27,986 | $60,592 | 10:1 | 39 | 977 |
| 6 | Fort Hays State UniversityPublic | Good· 32 | 92% | 48% | $12,389 | $42,428 | 14:1 | 49 | 9,792 |
| 7 | Bethany CollegePrivate | Good· 31 | 79% | 29% | $27,685 | $30,104 | 12:1 | 37 | 583 |
| 8 | Kansas Wesleyan UniversityPrivate | Good· 31 | 85% | 38% | $24,994 | $37,301 | 13:1 | 44 | 894 |
| 9 | Emporia State UniversityPublic | Good· 30 | 98% | 54% | $15,438 | $35,970 | 17:1 | 37 | 2,328 |
| 10 | Ottawa University-OttawaPrivate | Average· 29 | 80% | 29% | $28,099 | $49,101 | 15:1 | 34 | 935 |
| 11 | Pittsburg State UniversityPublic | Average· 29 | 88% | 58% | $18,833 | $45,942 | 15:1 | 43 | 4,162 |
| 12 | Wichita State UniversityPublic | Average· 28 | 95% | 51% | $14,240 | $38,102 | 20:1 | 77 | 10,493 |
| 13 | Central Christian College of KansasPrivate | Average· 28 | — | 23% | $12,873 | $55,453 | 11:1 | 36 | 394 |
| 14 | Washburn UniversityPublic | Average· 27 | — | 53% | $13,702 | $40,052 | 13:1 | 48 | 4,093 |
| 15 | Rasmussen University-KansasPrivate | Weak· 21 | — | 50% | $20,120 | $39,317 | 11:1 | 17 | 333 |
| 16 | Ottawa University-Kansas CityPrivate | Weak· 20 | — | — | — | $49,101 | 5:1 | 27 | 223 |
| 17 | Ottawa University-OnlinePrivate | Poor· 17 | — | — | — | $49,101 | 8:1 | 24 | 328 |