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2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate

217 Ranked Colleges
7,689 Degrees Awarded
$8,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate” 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.

At the associate degree level specifically, there were 7,689 criminal justice studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,082 and $17,678 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate” ranking analyzed 217 colleges that offered a degree in criminal justice studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality criminal justice studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the criminal justice studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice Studies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate.

Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice Studies

#1

North Hennepin Community College

Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 217 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, North Hennepin Community College landed the #1 spot on the list. North Hennepin Community College is a public institution located in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 27 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Hennepin Community College also took the #2 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Hennepin Community College is $10,284 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

Full North Hennepin Community College Criminal Justice Studies Report

#2

Century College

White Bear Lake, Minnesota
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 217 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate that were part of this year’s ranking, Century College landed the #2 spot on the list. Century College is a public institution located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 24 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Century College, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Century College is $10,808 for associate degree criminal justice studies students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Century College

#3

South Texas College

McAllen, Texas
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Texas College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate. McAllen, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s criminal justice studies degrees to 370 students in 2019-2020.

South Texas College also made our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend South Texas College is $1,174 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at South Texas College

#4

Gateway Technical College

Kenosha, Wisconsin
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Gateway Technical College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate list. Gateway Technical College is a medium-sized public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 58 associates’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Gateway Technical College also made our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Gateway Technical College is $9,252 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Gateway Technical College

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Suffolk County Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate list. Located in Selden, New York, this large public school handed out 227 degrees to qualified associates’s criminal justice studies students in 2019-2020.

Suffolk County Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,533 for associate degree criminal justice studies students per year to attend Suffolk County Community College.

Full Suffolk County Community College Criminal Justice Studies Report

#6

Rio Salado College

Tempe, Arizona
#12 in overall quality

Rio Salado College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate ranking, coming in at #6. Rio Salado College is a fairly large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 9 associates’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Rio Salado College also took the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,320 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend Rio Salado College.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Rio Salado College

Top 15% in overall quality

Metropolitan Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate list. MCC is a fairly large school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 56 associates’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

MCC excels when it comes to criminal justice studies quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $4,295 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend MCC.

Full Metropolitan Community College Criminal Justice Studies Report

#8

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#15 in overall quality

American Public University System landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate ranking. American Military University is a private for-profit institution located in Charles Town, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 93 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

American Military University also took the #15 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,222 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend American Public University System.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Full American Military University Criminal Justice Studies Report

#9

Inver Hills Community College

Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
Top 15% in overall quality

Inver Hills Community College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate ranking. IHCC is located in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 associates’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

IHCC excels when it comes to criminal justice studies quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Inver Hills Community College is $11,486 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at IHCC

#10

Normandale Community College

Bloomington, Minnesota
#22 in overall quality

Normandale Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate ranking, coming in at #10. Normandale Community College is a public institution located in Bloomington, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our associate degree criminal justice studies students list, Normandale Community College has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Normandale Community College is $12,620 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Normandale Community College

Top 15% in overall quality

Rochester Community and Technical College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate ranking. Located in Rochester, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified associates’s criminal justice studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Rochester Community and Technical College is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Rochester Community and Technical College is $14,088 for associate degree criminal justice studies students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Rochester Community and Technical College

#12

Lone Star College System

The Woodlands, Texas
#9 in overall quality

Lone Star College System did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate ranking, coming in at #12. Located in The Woodlands, Texas, this large public school handed out 131 degrees to qualified associates’s criminal justice studies students in 2019-2020.

North Harris Montgomery also took the #9 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Harris Montgomery is $8,016 for associate degree criminal justice studies students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at North Harris Montgomery

#13

Milwaukee Area Technical College

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

Milwaukee Area Technical College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate ranking. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 60 diplomas to qualified associates’s criminal justice studies students in 2019-2020.

MATC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Milwaukee Area Technical College is $9,076 for associate degree criminal justice studies students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Milwaukee Area Technical College

Top 20% in overall quality

Southeast Community College Area ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate list. Lincoln, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s criminal justice studies degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Southeast Community College also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Southeast Community College is $9,059 for associate degree criminal justice studies students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Southeast Community College

#23 in overall quality

Collin County Community College District came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate ranking. Collin County Community College District is a large public school situated in McKinney, Texas. It awarded 78 associates’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our associate degree criminal justice studies students list, Collin County Community College District has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Collin County Community College District is $6,293 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

Full Collin County Community College District Criminal Justice Studies Report

#16

Purdue University Global

Indianapolis, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

Purdue University Global did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate ranking, coming in at #16. Purdue University Global is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 238 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue University Global did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list.

Full Purdue University Global Criminal Justice Studies Report

#17

Ivy Tech Community College

Indianapolis, Indiana
#18 in overall quality

Ivy Tech Community College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 338 degrees to qualified associates’s criminal justice studies students in 2019-2020.

Ivy Tech Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Ivy Tech Community College is $6,919 for associate degree criminal justice studies students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Ivy Tech Community College

#18

Mid-State Technical College

Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Mid-State Technical College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate list. Mid-State is located in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 associates’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Mid-State is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Mid-State Technical College is $9,998 for associate degree criminal justice studies students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Mid-State Technical College

Top 15% in overall quality

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate list. This small school is located in Fennimore, Wisconsin, and it awarded 13 associates’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Southwest Tech is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $9,955 for associate degree criminal justice studies students per year to attend Southwest Tech.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full Southwest Tech Criminal Justice Studies Report

Top 20% in overall quality

McLennan Community College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Waco, Texas, and it awarded 63 associates’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, MCC also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,752 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend MCC.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at MCC

Top 20% in overall quality

College of Western Idaho landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate ranking. CWI is located in Nampa, Idaho and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 48 associates’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

CWI also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $6,711 for associate degree criminal justice studies students per year to attend CWI.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at CWI

#22

Western Technical College

La Crosse, Wisconsin
Top 25% in overall quality

Western Technical College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate ranking, coming in at #22. This small school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 14 associates’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,081 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend Western Technical College.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Western Technical College Criminal Justice Studies Report

#23

Northcentral Technical College

Wausau, Wisconsin

Northcentral Technical College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate list. This medium-sized school is located in Wausau, Wisconsin, and it awarded 20 associates’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,131 for associate degree criminal justice studies students per year to attend Northcentral Technical College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Northcentral Technical College

#24

El Paso Community College

El Paso, Texas
Top 20% in overall quality

El Paso Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate ranking, coming in at #24. El Paso Community College is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 275 associates’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

El Paso Community College excels when it comes to criminal justice studies quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend El Paso Community College is $4,594 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

Full El Paso Community College Criminal Justice Studies Report

#25

Macomb Community College

Warren, Michigan
Top 20% in overall quality

Macomb Community College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate list. Located in Warren, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified associates’s criminal justice studies students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Macomb Community College also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Macomb Community College is $8,724 for associate degree criminal justice studies students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Macomb Community College

Rest of the Best 33 in Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for an Associate

Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

College of Southern Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada
#27

Holyoke Community College

Holyoke, Massachusetts
#28

Tyler Junior College

Tyler, Texas
#30

Salt Lake Community College

Salt Lake City, Utah
#31

Weatherford College

Weatherford, Texas
#33

Howard College

Big Spring, Texas

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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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