2026 Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Washington
[Criminal Justice & Police Science](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice-and-police-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for criminal justice & police science students.
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2026 Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Washington
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice & police science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools
Our analysis ranked Spokane Community College the best value for a degree in criminal justice & police science in Washington. Set in the city of Spokane, Spokane Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,461, with out-of-state students paying around $6,612. Students borrow a median of $16,486 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Spokane Community College generally make around $41,451. Set against $16,486 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Washington Tacoma Campus one of the best values for criminal justice & police science. University Of Washington Tacoma Campus is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Tacoma. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,168, with out-of-state students paying around $43,404. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $15,269. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from University Of Washington Tacoma Campus generally make around $40,669. That is a strong return on a $15,269 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Green River Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & police science, landing the #3 spot this year. Green River Community College is a large public school located in the city of Auburn. In-state tuition and fees average $4,711, while out-of-state students pay about $5,263. Graduates go on to earn a median of $50,712 ten years after entry.
More Criminal Justice & Police Science Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
