2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Alabama
[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.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for criminal justice & police science students.
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2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Alabama
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
Leading the list is George C Wallace State Community College Dothan, our #1 best value for criminal justice & police science in Alabama. Set in the city of Dothan, George C Wallace State Community College Dothan is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,980, compared with $8,850 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $9,942 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $34,762. That is a strong return on a $9,942 median debt.
A rank of #2 makes Jefferson State Community College one of the best values for criminal justice & police science. Jefferson State Community College is a large public school located in the city of Birmingham. Students from in state pay about $5,100 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $8,970. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $15,083 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Jefferson State Community College generally make around $42,861. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
George C Wallace State Community College Hanceville is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & police science, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the rural area of Hanceville, George C Wallace State Community College Hanceville is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,220, with out-of-state students paying around $9,090. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $13,146 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of George C Wallace State Community College Hanceville earn a median of $35,238 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Columbia Southern University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice & police science schools. Located in the town of Orange Beach, Columbia Southern University is a very large private for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,224. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $23,641. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Columbia Southern University earn a median of $60,232 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,641 median debt.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
