2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Arkansas
[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 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 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 Arkansas
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
For return on investment in criminal justice & police science, no school beat Black River Technical College this year. Set in the town of Pocahontas, Black River Technical College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,776, while out-of-state students pay about $7,488. Students borrow a median of $7,100 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $40,468. Set against $7,100 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice & police science will find it at Arkansas Northeastern College, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Blytheville, Arkansas Northeastern College is a small public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,570 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $4,250. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $7,944. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Arkansas Northeastern College generally make around $47,773. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Northwest Arkansas Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & police science, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Bentonville, Northwest Arkansas Community College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,342, while out-of-state students pay about $5,238. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $12,479. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Northwest Arkansas Community College generally make around $40,671. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
East Arkansas Community College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice & police science schools. Set in the town of Forrest City, East Arkansas Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,300 in tuition and fees, compared with $4,380 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $8,110 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of East Arkansas Community College earn a median of $42,134 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #5 makes South Arkansas Community College one of the best values for criminal justice & police science. Set in the town of El Dorado, South Arkansas Community College is a small public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,324, while out-of-state students pay about $5,532. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $15,386 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $59,370. That is a strong return on a $15,386 median debt.
Southern Arkansas University Tech landed the #6 spot for criminal justice & police science value this year. Located in the rural area of Camden, Southern Arkansas University Tech is a small public university. Students from in state pay about $5,040 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $6,480. Students borrow a median of $8,488 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Southern Arkansas University Tech generally make around $34,302. Set against $8,488 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Arkansas State University Mountain Home came in at #7 for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Located in the town of Mountain Home, Arkansas State University Mountain Home is a small public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,312, compared with $4,776 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $18,097. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Arkansas State University Mountain Home generally make around $39,011. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
National Park Community College landed the #8 spot for criminal justice & police science value this year. Located in the suburb of Hot Springs, National Park Community College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,600, while out-of-state students pay about $7,280. Students borrow a median of $14,162 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of National Park Community College earn a median of $34,904 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $14,162 median debt.
University Of Arkansas At Little Rock came in at #9 for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Located in the city of Little Rock, University Of Arkansas At Little Rock is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,911 in tuition and fees, compared with $22,721 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $30,026 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of University Of Arkansas At Little Rock earn a median of $40,989 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 59%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
