2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Illinois
[Criminal Justice & Police Science](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice-and-police-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 15 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value criminal justice & police science schools.
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2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the criminal justice & police science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools
Joliet Junior College earned the #1 spot for value among criminal justice & police science schools in Illinois. Set in the suburb of Joliet, Joliet Junior College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,530, compared with $13,800 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $11,995 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Joliet Junior College generally make around $40,118. Set against $11,995 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Moraine Valley Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & police science, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Palos Hills, Moraine Valley Community College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,822, compared with $9,846 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $11,149 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Moraine Valley Community College generally make around $43,844. Set against $11,149 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Illinois Valley Community College earned it the #3 place for criminal justice & police science. Illinois Valley Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Oglesby. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,200, compared with $16,385 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $8,099. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $33,224. That is a strong return on a $8,099 median debt.
A rank of #4 makes Lewis And Clark Community College one of the best values for criminal justice & police science. Set in the suburb of Godfrey, Lewis And Clark Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,340, compared with $7,840 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $9,120 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $31,763. That is a strong return on a $9,120 median debt.
A rank of #5 makes Kankakee Community College one of the best values for criminal justice & police science. Set in the city of Kankakee, Kankakee Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,220, with out-of-state students paying around $25,830. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $13,289 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $60,509. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Oakton Community College earned the #6 position for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Oakton Community College is a large public school located in the city of Des Plaines. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,985, while out-of-state students pay about $12,462. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $7,750 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $48,838. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Elgin Community College came in at #7 for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Elgin Community College is a large public school located in the city of Elgin. In-state tuition and fees average $3,252, while out-of-state students pay about $9,516. Students borrow a median of $7,727 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $43,975. That is a strong return on a $7,727 median debt.
Morton College earned the #8 position for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Set in the suburb of Cicero, Morton College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,884, compared with $11,028 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $7,734 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $31,143. That is a strong return on a $7,734 median debt.
Mchenry County College came in at #9 for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Set in the rural area of Crystal Lake, Mchenry County College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,162, while out-of-state students pay about $14,399. Students borrow a median of $7,440 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Mchenry County College generally make around $24,177. That is a strong return on a $7,440 median debt.
College Of Dupage ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice & police science schools. Located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn, College Of Dupage is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,560 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $12,750. Students borrow a median of $7,521 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $28,749. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
College Of Lake County landed the #11 spot for criminal justice & police science value this year. Set in the suburb of Grayslake, College Of Lake County is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,788, compared with $14,400 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $9,785. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $50,314. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Southwestern Illinois College earned the #12 position for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Located in the suburb of Belleville, Southwestern Illinois College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,230 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $6,720. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $11,000 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $44,345. Set against $11,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Southeastern Illinois College came in at #13 for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Located in the rural area of Harrisburg, Southeastern Illinois College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,560, compared with $6,780 for out-of-state students. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $33,763.
Harper College earned the #14 position for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Harper College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Palatine. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,894, compared with $11,874 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,963 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $38,474. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Eastern Illinois University earned the #15 position for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Located in the town of Charleston, Eastern Illinois University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,377, compared with $15,859 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $24,293 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $40,489. That is a strong return on a $24,293 median debt. Eastern Illinois University admits about 65% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 15 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.
