Eight more “Hawkeye State” colleges are regionally accredited to provide high-quality bachelor’s in criminal justice degree programs in Iowa that help protect 3.134 million Iowans.
For National Safety Month, WalletHub ranked Iowa as the 12th safest state with the lowest murder rate. Although farming towns across Iowa’s tallgrass prairies seem idyllic, the Disaster Center reports that 9,110 violent and 65,391 property crimes still occurred in 2016. Keokuk, Fort Dodge, Clinton, Davenport, and Des Moines are the five most dangerous Iowa cities where criminal justice expertise will be valued. Iowa has 392 agencies, including the Iowa Department of Public Safety, Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Waterloo Police Department, Iowa Capitol Police, and DNR Conservation Law Enforcement, in nearly 200 jurisdictions for grad employment.
Finish reviewing the criminal justice schools in Iowa (N-Z) for joining your 22,430 neighbors working in protective service occupations statewide. (For the first half of our list, see: Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice Programs in Iowa (A-M) )
Northwestern College
Sociology & Criminal Justice Department
Home to Iowa’s 2006 Professor of the Year, Northwestern College is a private, baccalaureate liberal arts school founded in 1882 by the Reformed Church in America that’s enrolling 1,210 Red Raiders in seven academic buildings directed by Provost Kent Eaton on its 100-acre Orange City campus. Northwestern is recognized for America’s fifth best faculty by CBS News, 55th best college dorms on Niche, and 402nd most valuable education in Money Magazine. Featured in Rugg’s Recommendations, the Sociology & Criminal Justice Department has one of the bachelor’s in criminal justice degree programs in Iowa costing $39,500 annually.
Criminal Justice Major
Conferring a Bachelor of Arts, Northwestern’s Criminal Justice Major is a liberal arts-based, sociological program chaired by Dr. Scott Monsma for undergrads seeking to heal diverse communities harmed by crime for God’s restorative justice. Blending evidence-based criminal justice practices with Christian faith, the 48-credit major spans courses from policing to law processes. Students may also participate in the Denver Urban Semester, intern with the Iowa State Patrol, study abroad in Transylvania, attend the Christian Sociological Association Conference, and join Sigma Tau.
Accreditation
- Higher Learning Commission
Contact
Van Peursem Hall 311
101 7th Street SW
Orange City, IA 51041
(712) 707-7088
monsma@nwciowa.edu
Saint Ambrose University
Social and Political Sciences Division
Given the 2005 Kids Count! Certificate of Merit, Saint Ambrose University educates 2,743 undergrad Bees in the Chicagoland Conference as a private, Catholic teaching institution endowed for $127.3 million with 118 acres in the Diocese of Davenport. SAU is ranked America’s 245th best master’s university in Washington Monthly, 184th best small college on Niche, and 26th best Midwestern school by the U.S. News and World Report. Chaired by Nicole Pizzini, PhD, the Social and Political Sciences Division has seven majors, including another of the Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Iowa, with a selective 64 percent acceptance rate.
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
Taught by three Ph.D.-level faculty with law enforcement experience, SAU’s BA in Criminal Justice program has 40-50 majors receiving broad-based, adaptable education that addresses formidable problems in today’s public safety systems. Offering an optional Bachelor of Arts-Master of Criminal Justice Accelerated track, the 43-credit major presently bills $29,736 annually for courses like probation and social research analysis. Students may also attend the Antioch Retreat, intern in Iowa’s Seventh Judicial District, minor in Sociology, join the Ambrose Women for Social Justice, and venture to Indonesia.
Accreditation
- Higher Learning Commission
Contact
McMullen Hall 014
518 W. Locust Street
Davenport, IA 52801
(563) 333-6156
PizziniNicoleJ@sau.edu
Simpson College
Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice
Renowned for its John C. Culver Public Policy Center, Simpson College occupies 85 acres along Buxton Park Arboretum in Indianola as a private, civic-oriented Methodist institution founded in 1860 that’s now endowed for $78.6 million to teach 1,485 undergrad Storm. Simpson is ranked America’s 338th best Greek life college on Niche, 318th best private university in Forbes, and 147th top liberal arts college by the U.S. News and World Report. Also placed 58th nationally by College Factual, the Department of Sociology & Criminal Justice bills $37,663 per year for one of the Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Iowa.
Criminal Justice Major
Headed by Dr. Carolyn Dallinger, the 2010 C.A.S.E Professor of the Year, Simpson’s Criminal Justice Major trains undergrads to interpret social science research for formulating effective practices that protect civilians and discourage criminal behaviors. Boasting ETS Major Field Test scores in the top 99th percentile, the 44-credit major successfully covers racial relations, juvenile delinquency, forensics, and more. Bachelor’s students may also take the 3+3 Drake Law track, attend the ACJS Annual Meeting, intern at the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, and join Criminal Justice Club.
Accreditation
- Higher Learning Commission
Contact
Wallace Hall 304
701 North C Street
Indianola, IA 50125
(515) 961-1584
carolyn.dallinger@simpson.edu
University of Dubuque
Sociology & Criminal Justice Department
Opened in 1852 by Rev. Adrian Van Vliet, the University of Dubuque is a private, four-year Presbyterian college that follows the motto of “Mancherlei Gaben und Ein Geist” when teaching 2,190 Spartans on its 77-acre Tri-State campus. University of Dubuque is ranked America’s 613th safest college on Niche, the Midwest’s 109th best university by the U.S. News and World Report, and the 314th top regional value in Washington Monthly. Applauded for winning the 2016 National Undergraduate Mediation Tournament, the Sociology & Criminal Justice Department houses one of the Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Iowa with 66 percent retention.
Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
Featuring a 13:1 student-professor ratio, Dubuque’s Bachelor of Arts Criminal Justice is directed by John Shook, a 29-year veteran of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, to teach students about the primary components of law enforcement for efficient, ethical responses to crime. Starting the freshman year, the 46-credit major ranges from corrections to constitutional law with an optional 3+3 Law School track from the University of Iowa. Undergrads could also join the Justice Force, add the Scholar Leader Program, practice with Moot Court, intern with the DEA, and travel to London.
Accreditation
- Higher Learning Commission
Contact
Severance Hall 320
2000 University Avenue
Dubuque, IA 52001
(563) 589-3452
jshook@dbq.edu
University of Iowa
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Affiliated with legal alums like Juanita Kidd Stout, Coleen Rowley, and Gregory A. Peterson, the University of Iowa is a major public, coeducational research-intensive Big 10 member of the APLU that’s budgeting $3.2 billion annually to serve 33,334 and employ 2,296 on its 1,700-acre Iowa City campus. UI is ranked America’s 174th most liberal university on Niche, the Midwest’s 29th top college in Forbes, and Iowa’s most desirable school by Plexuss. The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences awards one of the bachelor’s in criminal justice degree programs in Iowa headed by Dr. Jennifer Glanville with 95 percent job placement.
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in Criminology, Law & Justice
Open for admission until May 1st or November 15th yearly, the Criminology, Law & Justice Major accepts UIowa Hawkeyes with a Regent Admission Index of 245 or higher for diving into the scientific study of crime to shape improved public policies. The 39-48 credit major has a mean net price of $14,558 annually for courses like sociological theory and criminal punishment. Other opportunities include earning Honors, interning at The Washington Center, researching in the CSGP Lab, studying overseas in India, and pledging Alpha Kappa Delta.
Accreditation
- Higher Learning Commission
Contact
Seashore Hall W125
350 N. Madison Street
Iowa City, IA 52242
(319) 335-2498
jennifer-glanville@uiowa.edu
University of Northern Iowa
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Appointed President Mark Nook in 2017, the University of Northern Iowa is a public, academic-oriented MVC state school formed in 1876 that’s enrolling 11,905 Panthers and employing 800 tenured faculty on its 48-building campus in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Metro. UNI is ranked America’s 133rd best public university in Forbes, 224th top value-added school by Money Magazine, and 249th most conservative college on Niche. Publishing the Kudos Newsletter bimonthly, the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences uses a teacher-scholar model to confer 19 humanities majors and run the Center for Violence Prevention.
Bachelor of Arts in Criminology
Directed by Dr. Marybeth C. Stalp, the Bachelor of Arts in Criminology is the traditional, face-to-face program for UNI freshmen with a minimum Regents Admission Index of 245 who exhibit the scientific curiosity for studying the causes and consequences of illegal behaviors. Currently costing $8,699 for Iowans and $19,241 for nonresidents yearly, the 120-credit degree encompasses courses from statistical methods to social deviance. Undergrads could also add the Crime Mapping Certificate, intern at Boys Town, obtain the John Chase Memorial Scholarship, and join the Association of Criminology.
Bachelor of Applied Science in Criminal Justice Online
Admitting cohorts of 20-25 each August, UNI’s Criminal Justice Online Bachelor of Applied Science stands out among the Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Iowa by awarding a Bachelor of Applied Science to associate grads with up to 65 transferable credits entirely through Blackboard. Adhering to Quality Matters standards, the 60-credit program presently bills $311 per credit for online students to gather the practical background for law enforcement careers. For two years, busy working adults access content 24/7 for courses like victimology and abnormal psychology.
Accreditation
- Higher Learning Commission
Contact
Sabin Hall 319
1227 W. 27th Street
Cedar Falls, IA
(319) 273-2143
sac@uni.edu
Upper Iowa University
School of Liberal Arts
Sitting along the Volga River with 100 rural acres in Fayette, Sperling’s 26th best Midwestern place to live, Upper Iowa University is a private, nonsectarian CIC member of the Northern Sun Conference that’s endowed for $15 million under President William Duffy Jr. to serve 6,158 Peacocks. UIU is lauded for America’s 433rd best dorms on Niche, 24th top online education by OnlineDegreeReviews.org, and 397th best contribution to the public good in Washington Monthly. The School of Liberal Arts has 92 percent career placement success after one of the bachelor’s in criminal justice degree programs in Iowa.
Criminal Justice Major
Estimated to cost $28,890 per year, UIU’s Criminal Justice major is headed by Dean Edward Huffstetler, Ph.D., with residential courses in Fayette or online eLearning for undergrads to uphold their devotion to maintaining laws that protect society from transgressions. Redesigned in Fall 2016, the 120-credit Bachelor of Arts degree injects real-world courses like community-oriented policing, justice administration, and offender treatment. Students may also study abroad in Malaysia, celebrate Constitution Day, intern at the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, declare Honors, and join Veterans Club.
Accreditation
- Higher Learning Commission
Contact
605 Washington Street
P.O. Box 1857
Fayette, IA 52142
(563) 425-5241
huffstetlere04@uiu.edu
Waldorf University
Undergraduate Studies Division
Established in 1903 after the Great Hotel War, Waldorf University is a private, nonprofit Lutheran liberal arts school with HLC accreditation reaffirmed under President Robert Alsop, PhD, to instruct 680 Warriors on its 50-acre Winnebago County campus in Forest City and online. Waldorf is ranked America’s 241st best baccalaureate school in Washington Monthly and 294th most diverse institution on Niche. With a 23:1 student-professor ratio, the Undergraduate Studies Division was also picked 45th nationally on Best Value Schools for its criminal justice degrees in Iowa.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
Unlocking median beginning earnings of $36,400, Waldorf’s Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice is the traditional, campus-based option for undergrads to attain well-rounded immersion in the field’s three major subsets of law enforcement, corrections, and judiciary. Mandating a minimum ACT score of 18, the 60-credit major builds on 46 general education credits with courses from court processes to mental illness. Students might also join Alpha Sigma Lambda, attend the Honors College, earn the $5,000 Transformational Scholarship, intern with Forest City Police, and venture to Spain.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration
Built with Waldorf’s same “Four Pillars” of tradition, passion, community, and success, the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration is another of the online bachelor’s in criminal justice degree programs in Iowa where 24/7 Blackboard access suits busy working adults. Requiring a 2.0 GPA or better, the 120-credit, $34,800 degree studies the intricacies of law enforcement with an added emphasis on managerial leadership. Given 4.9/5 stars on Gradreports.com, the four-year program infuses online courses like organizational theory, personnel management, and crime scene investigation.
Accreditation
- Higher Learning Commission
Contact
106 S. Sixth Street
Forest City, IA 50436
(641) 585-2450
admissions@waldorf.edu
Criminal justice majors could be ideal for Iowans steering clear of boring, 9-to-5 jobs to find exhilarating challenges in a career where saving lives, getting good pay, and retiring early is common. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Iowa provides annual mean wages of $56,310 and $49,170 to police officers and correctional officers respectively. Although federal agencies like the FBI only require finishing your high school diploma and rigorous training after age 21, a baccalaureate can boost your pay grade. Carefully review both parts of our Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree programs in Iowa to select your perfect match.
