2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in District of Columbia
[Criminal Justice Studies](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value criminal justice studies schools.
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2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in District of Columbia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the criminal justice studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools
Leading the list is George Washington University, our #1 best value for criminal justice studies in District of Columbia. Located in the city of Washington, George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,710. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $51,256. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. George Washington University admits about 47% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at American University earned it the #2 place for criminal justice studies. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $58,771 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $49,607. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. American University admits about 62% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice studies will find it at Howard University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Washington, Howard University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $35,810 in tuition and fees. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Howard University generally make around $27,801. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 41% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
