Best Criminal Justice Colleges in Ohio2026 Rankings
Ohio is home to 40 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, Ohio Christian University is the most selective, admitting 40% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $28,017, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $30,791. Median early-career earnings for Criminal Justice graduates in this state average $35,720 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 56%.
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| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of DaytonPrivate | Great· 39 | 62% | 82% | $26,840 | $25,150 | 15:1 | 65 | 8,099 |
| 2 | Wilberforce UniversityPrivate | Great· 38 | 53% | 16% | $10,244 | $31,870 | 12:1 | 27 | 602 |
| 3 | Miami University-OxfordPublic | Great· 38 | 82% | 82% | $24,142 | $36,612 | 15:1 | 99 | 16,361 |
| 4 | Ohio Northern UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 73% | 74% | $22,253 | $38,918 | 13:1 | 55 | 2,386 |
| 5 | Baldwin Wallace UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 77% | 69% | $23,535 | $42,407 | 9:1 | 68 | 2,775 |
| 6 | Cedarville UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 63% | 74% | $20,141 | $45,463 | 15:1 | 60 | 3,815 |
| 7 | Bluffton UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 61% | 50% | $18,013 | $37,955 | 10:1 | 48 | 595 |
| 8 | Mount Vernon Nazarene UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 84% | 64% | $19,173 | $39,999 | 12:1 | 49 | 1,346 |
| 9 | Walsh UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 78% | 62% | $19,692 | $48,514 | 13:1 | 45 | 1,294 |
| 10 | Lake Erie CollegePrivate | Strong· 34 | 64% | 42% | $18,863 | $39,461 | 12:1 | 32 | 678 |
| 11 | University of Mount UnionPrivate | Good· 33 | 80% | 65% | $20,206 | $38,440 | 12:1 | 57 | 1,785 |
| 12 | Youngstown State UniversityPublic | Good· 33 | 80% | 53% | $13,171 | $37,325 | 18:1 | 76 | 7,340 |
| 13 | Muskingum UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 82% | 53% | $18,945 | $35,595 | 13:1 | 54 | 1,407 |
| 14 | University of Akron Main CampusPublic | Good· 33 | 71% | 48% | $14,771 | $38,547 | 16:1 | 93 | 10,011 |
| 15 | Ohio Christian UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 40% | 36% | $20,820 | $37,996 | 11:1 | 27 | 816 |
| 16 | Ohio University-Main CampusPublic | Good· 32 | 85% | 66% | $18,808 | $53,614 | 18:1 | 101 | 18,456 |
| 17 | Xavier UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 88% | 71% | $31,527 | $41,013 | 11:1 | 62 | 4,723 |
| 18 | Heidelberg UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 68% | 50% | $18,704 | $36,242 | 15:1 | 37 | 884 |
| 19 | Ashland UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 81% | 61% | $22,000 | $42,172 | 15:1 | 56 | 2,250 |
| 20 | Defiance CollegePrivate | Good· 32 | 42% | 37% | $24,386 | $33,634 | 10:1 | 31 | 454 |
| 21 | Malone UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 76% | 51% | $21,996 | $40,724 | 12:1 | 47 | 777 |
| 22 | Central State UniversityPublic | Good· 32 | 46% | 26% | $18,187 | $32,631 | 17:1 | 30 | 3,412 |
| 23 | Bowling Green State University-Main CampusPublic | Good· 31 | 81% | 63% | $20,316 | $36,468 | 17:1 | 97 | 12,255 |
| 24 | Wilmington CollegePrivate | Good· 31 | 85% | 55% | $25,292 | $39,228 | 12:1 | 35 | 924 |
| 25 | Lourdes UniversityPrivate | Good· 31 | 74% | 38% | $20,610 | $47,145 | 13:1 | 23 | 668 |
| 26 | Kent State University at KentPublic | Good· 30 | 87% | 65% | $16,772 | $33,980 | 21:1 | 91 | 19,134 |
| 27 | University of Cincinnati-Main CampusPublic | Good· 30 | 88% | 72% | $20,607 | $40,557 | 19:1 | 100 | 29,094 |
| 28 | The University of FindlayPrivate | Good· 30 | 86% | 63% | $23,566 | $42,263 | 13:1 | 64 | 2,240 |
| 29 | Tiffin UniversityPrivate | Average· 28 | 80% | 43% | $23,742 | $44,823 | 20:1 | 44 | 1,938 |
| 30 | University of ToledoPublic | Average· 27 | 95% | 56% | $17,553 | $37,548 | 18:1 | 76 | 10,244 |