ASU criminal justice online graduate program ranks No. 9 by US News & World Report
Listing is up from last year; program is also sixth best in nation for veterans
A graduate carries the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice gonfalon into the fall 2024 convocation for Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions on Dec. 17. Photo by Mark J. Scarp | ASU
The online master’s degree program offered by the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University is among the nation’s top 10 such courses of study, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings announced today.
The online master’s degree program earned a No. 9 ranking for 2025, up from No. 13 last year and ahead of Michigan State University, Florida State University and the University of Cincinnati.
The program also earned top marks in U.S. News’ Best Online Master’s in Criminal Justice for Veterans category by retaining the No. 6 ranking it enjoyed in 2024. This ranking is higher than those of Michigan State University, Florida State University and the University of Cincinnati.
The No. 9 overall ranking marks the 11th consecutive year that the school has placed in the top 15 of the magazine’s rankings in that category.
Most of the online graduate program’s more than 200 currently enrolled students are criminal justice professionals who seek an advanced degree to improve their career potential, said Professor of Practice Joshua Adams, the school’s director of online programs.
Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions Senior Associate Dean Joanna Lucio said the program’s enviable status demonstrates how well the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice faculty and staff understand the needs of students.
“The increase in the school’s ranking demonstrates the growing awareness of the quality graduate criminal justice education students from all over the globe are able to get at ASU,” Lucio said. “Our faculty and staff are dedicated to developing and delivering high-quality, student-centric online courses.
“The school has also consistently been a top 10 program in criminology and criminal justice for veteran students who recognize the school’s commitment to public service and respect for those who serve their country.”
Watts Endowed Professor for Public Safety Beth Huebner, director of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, expressed pride in the high quality of the school’s online graduate offerings and in how well the school is responding to the needs of student veterans.
“Excellence in education is a core part of the mission of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and the top 10 ranking is an important signal that we are achieving our goals as a school,” Huebner said. “We also strive to make our virtual classrooms accessible to all, which is reflected in our continued high ranking for veteran students. Thank you to our faculty and instructors, who work hard to bring the virtual classroom to so many across the world.”
The school’s faculty are among the nation’s most honored criminology and criminal justice educators. Recent faculty awardees include:
- In November 2023, the American Society of Criminology presented Huebner with two prestigious awards: its Lifetime Achievement Award and induction as one of its fellows.
- Two other faculty members have received the Lifetime Achievement Award: Emeritus Professor John Hepburn and Regents Professor Cassia Spohn.
- Also, three other faculty members are American Society of Criminology fellows: Spohn, Emeritus Professor Scott Decker and Professor Michael Reisig. In 2022, Decker received the ASC’s August Vollmer Award for scholarship or professional activities that made outstanding contributions to justice and/or to the treatment or prevention of criminal or delinquent behavior.
- In January 2024, the Western Criminology Society announced that one of its annual awards was named for ASU criminal justice Professor Henry F. Fradella. The inaugural Henry F. Fradella award, recognizing major contributions to empirical research of legal issues in criminal justice, was presented to Fradella during the society’s annual conference in February 2024.
- For 2022-2023, the WSC honored Foundation Professor Anthony Peguero with its W.E.B. DuBois Award for significant contributions in advancing awareness of racial and ethnic issues in criminology and criminal justice.