2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Wisconsin
[Criminal Justice Studies](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools to find the best return on investment for criminal justice studies students.
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2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Wisconsin
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools
Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College earned the #1 spot for value among criminal justice studies schools in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Rice Lake. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,926, while out-of-state students pay about $7,169. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $10,252. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $44,966. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice studies will find it at Milwaukee Area Technical College, which ranked #2. Milwaukee Area Technical College is a very large public school located in the city of Milwaukee. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,184, while out-of-state students pay about $7,427. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $18,082. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $38,027. Set against $18,082 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Blackhawk Technical College earned it the #3 place for criminal justice studies. Located in the suburb of Janesville, Blackhawk Technical College is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,747, while out-of-state students pay about $6,803. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $14,937. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $54,417. Set against $14,937 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northcentral Technical College earned it the #4 place for criminal justice studies. Northcentral Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Wausau. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,889, compared with $7,132 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $14,250. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Northcentral Technical College generally make around $49,533. That is a strong return on a $14,250 median debt.
A rank of #5 makes Mid State Technical College one of the best values for criminal justice studies. Set in the town of Wisconsin Rapids, Mid State Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,002, while out-of-state students pay about $7,171. Students borrow a median of $13,500 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Mid State Technical College generally make around $41,678. Set against $13,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Western Technical College La Cross placed #6 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Set in the city of La Crosse, Western Technical College La Cross is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,820, while out-of-state students pay about $7,078. Students borrow a median of $15,494 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Western Technical College La Cross generally make around $59,276. Set against $15,494 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Waukesha County Technical College came in at #7 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Waukesha County Technical College is a large public school located in the suburb of Pewaukee. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,803, while out-of-state students pay about $7,046. Students borrow a median of $16,813 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Waukesha County Technical College earn a median of $55,353 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Wisconsin Parkside came in at #8 for value in criminal justice studies this year. University Of Wisconsin Parkside is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Kenosha. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,270, while out-of-state students pay about $17,429. Students borrow a median of $20,745 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of University Of Wisconsin Parkside earn a median of $42,342 early in their careers. Set against $20,745 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College placed #9 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Southwest Wisconsin Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Fennimore. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,904, while out-of-state students pay about $7,147. Students borrow a median of $12,750 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $51,806. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Gateway Technical College landed the #10 spot for criminal justice studies value this year. Gateway Technical College is a large public school located in the city of Kenosha. In-state tuition and fees average $4,956, compared with $7,199 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $16,084 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Gateway Technical College earn a median of $56,350 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,084 median debt.
University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh placed #11 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Set in the city of Oshkosh, University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,532 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $16,446. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $39,394. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee ranked #12 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee is a very large public school located in the city of Milwaukee. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,398, with out-of-state students paying around $22,398. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $25,715. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee generally make around $38,640. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee admits about 91% of applicants.
University Of Wisconsin Platteville came in at #13 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Set in the town of Platteville, University Of Wisconsin Platteville is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,644, while out-of-state students pay about $17,603. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $25,000. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $48,228. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. University Of Wisconsin Platteville admits about 89% of applicants.
University Of Wisconsin Eau Claire placed #14 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Set in the city of Eau Claire, University Of Wisconsin Eau Claire is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,642 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $19,228. Students borrow a median of $21,500 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of University Of Wisconsin Eau Claire earn a median of $41,258 early in their careers. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Wisconsin Eau Claire admits about 82% of applicants.
Marian University Wisconsin landed the #15 spot for criminal justice studies value this year. Set in the city of Fond Du Lac, Marian University Wisconsin is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $35,204. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $27,242. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Marian University Wisconsin earn a median of $72,102 early in their careers. Set against $27,242 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
Concordia University Wisconsin landed the #16 spot for criminal justice studies value this year. Concordia University Wisconsin is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Mequon. Students from in state pay about $35,470 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Concordia University Wisconsin generally make around $41,527. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Concordia University Wisconsin admits about 78% of applicants.
More Criminal Justice Studies Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 16 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.
