2026 Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Pennsylvania
[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. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 17 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 Pennsylvania
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
Butler County Community College earned the #1 spot for value among criminal justice & police science schools in Pennsylvania. Set in the town of Butler, Butler County Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,910 in tuition and fees, compared with $12,000 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,836 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Butler County Community College generally make around $41,492. That is a strong return on a $10,836 median debt.
Westmoreland County Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice & police science schools. Set in the suburb of Youngwood, Westmoreland County Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,306, compared with $14,728 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $11,000. Graduates go on to earn a median of $37,439 ten years after entry. Set against $11,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Delaware County Community College earned it the #3 place for criminal justice & police science. Delaware County Community College is a large public school located in the suburb of Media. In-state tuition and fees average $6,930, with out-of-state students paying around $15,540. Students borrow a median of $14,163 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Delaware County Community College generally make around $57,464. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Montgomery County Community College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice & police science schools. Located in the suburb of Blue Bell, Montgomery County Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,690, while out-of-state students pay about $17,250. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $16,112. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Montgomery County Community College earn a median of $58,964 early in their careers. Set against $16,112 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice & police science will find it at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, which ranked #5. Located in the rural area of Johnstown, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,110, compared with $13,350 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $11,315 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College earn a median of $31,499 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,315 median debt.
Reading Area Community College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice & police science schools. Located in the city of Reading, Reading Area Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,480, while out-of-state students pay about $12,510. Students borrow a median of $13,979 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Reading Area Community College earn a median of $49,248 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg earned the #7 position for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Located in the city of Harrisburg, Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $6,975 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $12,472. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $15,750. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg generally make around $37,916. That is a strong return on a $15,750 median debt.
Pennsylvania Western University placed #8 among the best values for criminal justice & police science. Set in the town of California, Pennsylvania Western University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,436 in tuition and fees, compared with $16,054 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $47,295 ten years after entry. The acceptance rate is 94%.
Strayer University Pennsylvania came in at #9 for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Strayer University Pennsylvania is a mid-sized private for-profit school located in the suburb of Trevose. In-state tuition and fees average $13,920. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $56,937 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $58,506. That is a strong return on a $56,937 median debt.
Lackawanna College placed #10 among the best values for criminal justice & police science. Lackawanna College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Scranton. Students from in state pay about $18,400 in tuition and fees. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $22,310 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Lackawanna College earn a median of $35,280 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Gwynedd Mercy College ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice & police science schools. Gwynedd Mercy College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Gwynedd Valley. In-state tuition and fees average $40,838. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $65,243. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Neumann University landed the #12 spot for criminal justice & police science value this year. Neumann University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Aston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $39,100. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Neumann University generally make around $41,637. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Neumann University admits about 81% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
