<p>The best undergraduate options for a criminology/criminal justice degree appear to be at the following schools: University of Pennsylvania (does not take spring transfers), George Washington University, Northeastern University, University of Miami, University of Florida, University of Maryland, College Park, Pennsylvania State University, University of California, Irvine (does not take spring transfers), Villanova University, American University, and the University of Richmond. </p>
<p>I will be receiving my A.A. from a Florida CC in the Fall, I have a 3.9+/31 ACT with great LOR's and EC's, and much work experience so getting in to these schools will most likely not be a problem. I just need to figure where I should plan to go. NOTE: UPenn and UC-Irvine are not options for me because I will be transferring at the end of THIS semester.</p>
<p>My plan is to receive the best undergraduate education in criminology/criminal justice that I can. Where would you recommend that I attend?</p>
<p>BUMP, sorry about I need as many responses as I can so that I can collect data on the opinion of fellow CC’ers. Obviously I won’t base my decision solely on which schools is most often mentioned but I will take it into consideration. Plz & Thx U.</p>
<p>Those all look like fine schools. You should contact the transfer admissions people and talk to them about what they would accept from your CC. I think I would start with the Florida schools as they would be the most familiar with your CC.</p>
<p>Sorry but money is most certainly an issue, particularly as a transfer student. You need to run the net price calculator at each of these schools as a reality check.</p>
<p>It’s hard for me to comment on where “I think” you should go, because I do not know much about you as a person. Just because a program is considered a “top program” does not mean it is right for you. In this process it is important to consider the spatial locale of the program. Are you comfortable being far away from Florida? Have you calculated the living costs, and overall expense of each school. GWU for instance is one of the most expensive schools in the USA, a first year student can expect to pay $64,300 at GWU w/o aid.</p>
<p>All that being said, I have heard good things about American University and their Justice & Law program. So look at that one, but even there you should also factor in finances.</p>
<p>What are your goals, where would you like to work geographically…does it make a difference?</p>
<p>Asking “where you should go” is like asking “what should I have for my next meal” without giving your likes/dislikes/allergies or intolerances, how much money you have or if you are willing to go grocery shopping. </p>
<p>OMG people, just comment where you think the BEST program is in your opinion. I really do appreciate the wanting to learn more about me but I am only interested in a school with the best criminology resources, research, internships, and connections. I want to be an academic in the field of criminology and study criminological issues.</p>
<p>Thanks @informative, this is what I keep hearing. What do you think about George Washington’s criminology program? I can cross Penn off my list because of over-selectivity and Maryland because it is a large public school. Northeastern is starting to look good. What does Maryland have that puts in the same league as Northeastern and Penn? I don’t want to completely ignore UMD-College Park. @bopper, I am definitely looking at the University of Miami, I love the city, and I am looking even more intensely at UF because it is highly ranked overall and in criminology (USNews&World ranked it #12 for criminology). Also, I could save my parents a lot of money but once again money is not an issue so that is besides the point. @MidwestExpress, GWU offered me a ridiculous amount of aid when I applied as a freshman and they treat transfer the same in terms of funding so I would expect to pay about $10k to $15k which i could totally swing with loans. I’d only be there for 2 to 2.5 years. American seems to have an interesting program but I’m afraid I am looking more at traditional programs in criminology theory/criminal justice. </p>
<p>University of Maryland is hands down considered one of the “best” criminology programs in the country, list after list shows this. I think the main reasons are a mixture of value (it is much cheaper than GWU for instance), location (it is nestled near Washington D.C.) and the wide array of concentrations within the program. A quick search through their faculty also reveals that many are noted scholars within criminology. </p>
<p>If you are looking at this with the long term goal of becoming an Academic, you might also look into DePaul in Chicago. Their Criminology program is unique in its scope and focus, and Chicago is a perfect locale to study crime in society. As I mentioned earlier, American should be looked into as well.</p>
<p>…for the last time, money is not an issue for me. Just leave it at that. Unless you are going to recommend which one of the listed schools would be best for an aspiring criminological researcher, posting here will not be useful to me.</p>
<p>In any case, you should add SUNY Albany and John Jay College to your list. They are arguably better than UPenn when it comes to criminology and are widely respected and recognized.</p>