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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California

19 Ranked Colleges
4,278 Degrees Awarded
$10,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 46,252 people earned their degree in criminal justice studies, making the major the 16th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 4,565 criminal justice studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,278 criminal justice studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in criminal justice studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent criminal justice studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the criminal justice studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice Studies Schools

The criminal justice studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 307 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

Cal State LA also took the #6 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $1,379 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at California State University - Los Angeles

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 334 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at California State University - Fullerton

#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to 203 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUDH has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUDH.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Stanislaus. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 223 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

Stan State also made our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Stan State Criminal Justice Studies Report

#5

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 317 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full San Diego State University Criminal Justice Studies Report

#12 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 294 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB also took the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,077 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSB.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at CSUSB

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 208 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at California State University - Long Beach

#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 494 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Sac State

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to 159 students in 2019-2020.

CSUB also took the #15 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,423 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUB.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Criminal Justice Studies Report

#8 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 204 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay also made our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $8,036 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at California State University - East Bay

#11

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 253 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also made our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $11,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Full SFSU Criminal Justice Studies Report

#12

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, San Jose State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 174 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $10,940 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full San Jose State Criminal Justice Studies Report

#10 in overall quality

California State University - Chico landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chico State is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 173 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $10,260 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico Criminal Justice Studies Report

#14

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#11 in overall quality

Sonoma State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rohnert Park, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to 85 students in 2019-2020.

SSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $12,263 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Sonoma State University Criminal Justice Studies Report

#1 in overall quality

The University of Arizona Global Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. UAGC is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 308 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UAGC also made our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for UAGC is $20,283 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at UAGC

#16

La Sierra University

Riverside, California
#16 in overall quality

La Sierra University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. La Sierra is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 49 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

La Sierra not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $21,644 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend La Sierra University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at La Sierra

#17

Platt College - Ontario

Ontario, California
#17 in overall quality

Platt College - Ontario landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Platt College - Ontario is a small school located in Ontario, California that handed out 12 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Platt College - Ontario, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Platt College - Ontario is $22,554 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Platt College - Ontario

#18

Platt College - Los Angeles

Alhambra, California
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Platt College - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Platt College - Los Angeles is a private for-profit institution located in Alhambra, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Platt College - Los Angeles also took the #18 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,241 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Platt College - Los Angeles.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Platt College - Los Angeles

#19

Platt College - Riverside

Riverside, California
#19 in overall quality

Platt College - Riverside ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Platt College - Riverside is a small school located in Riverside, California that handed out 3 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Platt College - Riverside also made our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Platt College - Riverside is $24,799 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Platt College - Riverside Criminal Justice Studies Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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