2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Tennessee
[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 6 schools to find the best return on investment for criminal justice & police science students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Tennessee
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 Dyersburg State Community College, our #1 best value for criminal justice & police science in Tennessee. Set in the town of Dyersburg, Dyersburg State Community College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,758, compared with $18,060 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,611 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Dyersburg State Community College earn a median of $41,177 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Walters State 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 city of Morristown, Walters State Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,752, while out-of-state students pay about $17,736. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $16,702 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Walters State Community College generally make around $44,624. That is a strong return on a $16,702 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice & police science will find it at Cleveland State Community College, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Cleveland, Cleveland State Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,762, with out-of-state students paying around $17,746. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $6,318. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $41,488. Set against $6,318 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Volunteer State Community College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice & police science schools. Located in the suburb of Gallatin, Volunteer State Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,756, with out-of-state students paying around $17,740. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $12,462 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Volunteer State Community College earn a median of $40,137 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Strayer University Tennessee earned it the #5 place for criminal justice & police science. Located in the city of Nashville, Strayer University Tennessee is a mid-sized private for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,920. Students borrow a median of $56,937 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $59,916. That is a strong return on a $56,937 median debt.
South College landed the #6 spot for criminal justice & police science value this year. Located in the city of Knoxville, South College is a very large private for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,535. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $24,533. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $24,095. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
More Criminal Justice & Police Science Rankings
View All Criminal Justice & Police Science Rankings >
Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
