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2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s

392 Ranked Colleges
30,900 Degrees Awarded
$16,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor's

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Criminal Justice Studies is the 16th most popular major in the country with 46,252 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 30,900 criminal justice studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 392 colleges that offer 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.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice Studies

#1

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Public University System. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Charles Town, West Virginia, and it awarded 447 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

American Military University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,222 for bachelor’s 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

#2

Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota
Top 20% in overall quality

Out of the 392 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Minot State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Minot, North Dakota, this small public school handed out 41 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice studies students in 2019-2020.

MSU excels when it comes to criminal justice studies quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Minot State University is $11,898 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Minot State University

#4

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota
Top 20% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bemidji State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s. Bemidji State University is a small school located in Bemidji, Minnesota that handed out 63 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Bemidji State University is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bemidji State University is $15,868 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Bemidji State University

#5

Purdue University Global

Indianapolis, Indiana
Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University Global. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Purdue University Global is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 384 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Purdue University Global is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.

Full Purdue University Global Criminal Justice Studies Report

#6

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 121 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students list, UW - Platteville has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $15,718 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#7

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#7 in overall quality

Winona State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Winona, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to 68 students in 2019-2020.

Winona State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State University is $17,656 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Winona State University

#8

Herzing University - Brookfield

Brookfield, Wisconsin
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Herzing University - Brookfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Herzing University - Brookfield is a private not-for-profit institution located in Brookfield, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Herzing University - Brookfield also took the #6 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $22,628 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students per year to attend Herzing University - Brookfield.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Herzing University - Brookfield

Top 10% in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, North Dakota State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. North Dakota State University is located in Fargo, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, North Dakota State University also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $16,584 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students per year to attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at North Dakota State University

#5 in overall quality

University of Maryland Global Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Adelphi, Maryland, and it awarded 321 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UMGC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,288 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend UMGC.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at UMGC

#11

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#25 in overall quality

University of North Dakota ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to 65 students in 2019-2020.

UND also took the #25 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,738 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students per year to attend University of North Dakota.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at University of North Dakota

Top 10% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 50 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at UW Oshkosh

#13

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina

With a ranking of #13, Western Carolina University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and it awarded 150 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Carolina University is $13,722 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

Full Western Carolina University Criminal Justice Studies Report

#14

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Top 10% in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 67 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice studies students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire excels when it comes to criminal justice studies quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#15

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, South Dakota
Top 25% in overall quality

University of South Dakota ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of South Dakota is located in Vermillion, South Dakota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend USD is $18,555 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 University of South Dakota Criminal Justice Studies Report

Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs is a large private for-profit school situated in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It awarded 465 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs is $16,435 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

Full Colorado Technical University - Colorado Springs Criminal Justice Studies Report

#17

Herzing University - Atlanta

Atlanta, Georgia
Top 10% in overall quality

Herzing University - Atlanta landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Herzing University - Atlanta is a small school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 8 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Herzing University - Atlanta is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $25,542 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students per year to attend Herzing University - Atlanta.

Full Herzing University - Atlanta Criminal Justice Studies Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato also made our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State University - Mankato is $16,221 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State University - Mankato Criminal Justice Studies Report

#20

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

Westfield State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Westfield is a medium-sized public school situated in Westfield, Massachusetts. It awarded 209 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Westfield, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Westfield State University is $19,167 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

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%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Westfield

#21

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
Top 10% in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Saint Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 73 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, St. Cloud State University is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for St. Cloud State University is $14,267 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Saint Cloud State University

#22

Bethel University

McKenzie, Tennessee

Bethel University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Bethel University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in McKenzie, Tennessee. It awarded 153 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Bethel is $15,701 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Bethel

Top 15% in overall quality

Herzing University - Akron ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Herzing Akron is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $22,416 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students per year to attend Herzing University - Akron.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Herzing University - Akron

#24

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
Top 20% in overall quality

Truman State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Kirksville, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Truman State is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $12,462 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students per year to attend Truman State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Truman State

#25

Worcester State University

Worcester, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

Worcester State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students list, Worcester State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Worcester State is $19,492 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Worcester State University

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Wayne State College

Wayne, Nebraska
#27

Herzing University - Madison

Madison, Wisconsin
#29

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas
#30

Columbia College

Columbia, South Carolina
#31

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#32

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, North Carolina
#33

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, Florida
#34

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas
#36

Peru State College

Peru, Nebraska
#38

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio
#39

University of the Cumberlands

Williamsburg, Kentucky
#40

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas
#41

Herzing University - Kenner

Kenner, Louisiana
#43

University of Mary

Bismarck, North Dakota
#44

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania
#45

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#46

Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg, Massachusetts
#47

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia
#48

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas
#49

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
52 Harding University Searcy, AR
53 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA
54 Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global Marion, IN
55 University of Houston - Downtown Houston, TX
56 Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Ponce Mercedita, PR
57 Weber State University Ogden, UT
58 University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE
59 Polk State College Winter Haven, FL

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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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