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2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region

41 Ranked Colleges
1,797 Degrees Awarded
$15,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in the Plains States Region” 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.

Across the Plains States region, there were 2,432 criminal justice studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,797 criminal justice studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 41 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the criminal justice studies program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice Studies in the Plains States Region

#1

Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota
#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Minot State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. Minot State University is a small public school situated in Minot, North Dakota. It awarded 41 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minot State University is $11,898 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

Full Minot State University Criminal Justice Studies Report

#2

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota
#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bemidji State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Bemidji State University is a public institution located in Bemidji, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students list, Bemidji State University has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bemidji State University is $15,868 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Bemidji State University

#3

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Winona State University landed the #3 spot on the list. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $17,656 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Winona State Criminal Justice Studies Report

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, North Dakota State University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. North Dakota State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Fargo, North Dakota. It awarded 47 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

North Dakota State University also took the #5 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University is $16,584 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at North Dakota State University

#5

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Dakota landed the #5 spot on the list. UND is a public institution located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UND, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,738 for Plains States Region 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 UND

#6

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, South Dakota
#20 in overall quality

University of South Dakota ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. University of South Dakota is a medium-sized public school situated in Vermillion, South Dakota. It awarded 49 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USD, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Dakota is $18,555 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at USD

#3 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #7. This fairly large school is located in Mankato, Minnesota, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State University - Mankato is $16,221 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Minnesota State Mankato

#8

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 73 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students list, St. Cloud State University has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Cloud State University is $14,267 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at St. Cloud State University

#9

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#14 in overall quality

Truman State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Truman State University is located in Kirksville, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Truman State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,462 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend Truman State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Truman State University

#10

Wayne State College

Wayne, Nebraska

Wayne State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Wayne, Nebraska, this small public school awarded 51 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice studies students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State College is $13,765 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Wayne State College

#11

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#12 in overall quality

Metropolitan State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Metropolitan State University is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 83 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

Metro State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Metropolitan State University is $15,225 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Metropolitan State University

#12

Peru State College

Peru, Nebraska

Peru State College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Peru State College is a small public school situated in Peru, Nebraska. It awarded 29 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,058 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend Peru State.

Full Peru State College Criminal Justice Studies Report

#19 in overall quality

Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. MSU Moorhead is a medium-sized school located in Moorhead, Minnesota that handed out 32 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Moorhead also took the #19 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State University - Moorhead is $16,893 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Minnesota State University - Moorhead Criminal Justice Studies Report

#24 in overall quality

Fort Hays State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. FHSU is a fairly large school located in Hays, Kansas that handed out 51 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students list, FHSU has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend FHSU is $12,053 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at FHSU

#15

University of Mary

Bismarck, North Dakota
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Mary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Bismarck, North Dakota, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UMary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,410 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend UMary.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 University of Mary

#23 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Kearney did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #16. This medium-sized school is located in Kearney, Nebraska, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students list, UNK has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,017 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students per year to attend UNK.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 UNK

#17

Waldorf University

Forest City, Iowa
#9 in overall quality

Waldorf University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Forest City, Iowa, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Waldorf also took the #9 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $20,036 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend Waldorf.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Waldorf

#18

Capella University

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Capella University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large private for-profit school handed out 62 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice studies students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Capella University is $17,619 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Capella University

#19

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Lindenwood University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Saint Charles, Missouri, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 90 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice studies students in 2019-2020.

Lindenwood University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $17,491 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Lindenwood University

#13 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Omaha landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a public institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 192 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNOMAHA also took the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,040 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend UNOMAHA.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at UNOMAHA

#21

University of Jamestown

Jamestown, North Dakota
#17 in overall quality

University of Jamestown did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Jamestown, North Dakota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice studies students in 2019-2020.

UJ not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UJ is $19,413 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

Full University of Jamestown Criminal Justice Studies Report

#22

University of Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

University of Sioux Falls ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. University of Sioux Falls is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Sioux Falls is $19,893 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice studies students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at University of Sioux Falls

#23

Concordia University, Saint Paul

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#21 in overall quality

Concordia University, Saint Paul came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice studies students in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Saint Paul also made our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Saint Paul is $16,245 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Concordia University, Saint Paul

#24

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, Kansas

Pittsburg State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #24. Pittsburg State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Pittsburg, Kansas. It awarded 14 bachelors’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,436 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend Pitt State.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Pitt State

#25

Missouri Western State University

Saint Joseph, Missouri

Missouri Western State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #25. Missouri Western State University is a public institution located in Saint Joseph, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,958 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend Missouri Western.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Missouri Western State University

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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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