2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania
23
Ranked Colleges
1,886
Degrees Awarded
$19,700
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 46,814 people earned their degree in criminal justice studies, making the major the 16th most popular in the United States.
Across Pennsylvania, there were 1,886 criminal justice studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in criminal justice studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great criminal justice studies programs and cost less that 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
The criminal justice studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania”.
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 in Pennsylvania
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice Studies in Pennsylvania
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, California University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. Cal U is a medium-sized school located in California, Pennsylvania that handed out 107 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal U also took the #5 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California University of Pennsylvania is $19,117 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students.
Full Cal U Criminal Justice Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania list. This fairly large school is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 172 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.
WCUPA also made our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for WCUPA is $21,484 for pennsylvania criminal justice studies students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at WCUPA
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania. Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school situated in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 68 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Ship not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is $23,006 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Ship
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lehigh Carbon Community College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania. Lehigh Carbon Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. It awarded 15 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.
LCCC also took the #17 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lehigh Carbon Community College is $6,897 for pennsylvania criminal justice studies students.
Full LCCC Criminal Justice Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 93 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice studies students in 2020-2021.
Bloomsburg also took the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania is $20,639 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students.
Full Bloomsburg Criminal Justice Studies Report
Delaware County Community College landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Media, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 31 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice studies students in 2020-2021.
Delaware County Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Delaware County Community College is $10,459 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students.
Full Delaware County Community College Criminal Justice Studies Report
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania list. Kutztown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice studies degrees to 103 students in 2020-2021.
Kutztown University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kutztown University is $23,227 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students.
Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Temple University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #8. Temple is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 217 ’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania criminal justice studies students list, Temple has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $23,888 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend Temple University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Temple University
Bucks County Community College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania list. Bucks County Community College is a public institution located in Newtown, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bucks County Community College, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bucks County Community College is $8,336 for pennsylvania criminal justice studies students.
Full Bucks County Community College Criminal Justice Studies Report
Lincoln University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #10. Lincoln is a public institution located in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 54 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Lincoln did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Lincoln is $17,741 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students.
Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Lincoln
Northampton County Area Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Northampton County Area Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It awarded 59 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northampton Community College, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northampton Community College is $9,162 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students.
Full Northampton Community College Criminal Justice Studies Report
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 62 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice studies students in 2020-2021.
East Stroudsburg University also took the #19 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is $20,141 for pennsylvania criminal justice studies students.
Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
With a ranking of #13, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania list. This small school is located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 34 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Edinboro also made our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Edinboro is $16,363 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students.
Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Central Penn College did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Summerdale, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 33 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central Penn, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Central Penn is $19,065 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Central Penn College
DeSales University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. DeSales is located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 ’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.
DeSales did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend DeSales is $29,547 for pennsylvania criminal justice studies students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at DeSales University
Holy Family University landed the #16 spot on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s criminal justice studies degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Holy Family, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Holy Family is $14,854 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students.
The school has an impressive undergrad 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 Holy Family University
With a ranking of #17, La Roche University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania list. La Roche is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 10 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.
La Roche also made our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for La Roche University is $21,892 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full La Roche University Criminal Justice Studies Report
La Salle University landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. La Salle is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 48 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.
La Salle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for La Salle is $25,819 for pennsylvania criminal justice studies students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at La Salle
Gannon University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #19. Gannon University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Erie, Pennsylvania. It awarded 46 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Gannon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Gannon University is $22,473 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Gannon Criminal Justice Studies Report
Point Park University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Point Park is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.
Point Park did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $21,600 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students per year to attend Point Park University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Point Park University
Seton Hill University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania list. Seton Hill is a small school located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 21 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Seton Hill also made our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Seton Hill is $23,328 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Seton Hill University Criminal Justice Studies Report
Mercyhurst University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania list. Mercyhurst is a small school located in Erie, Pennsylvania that handed out 60 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania criminal justice studies students list, Mercyhurst has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mercyhurst University is $27,283 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Studies students.
Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Mercyhurst
King’s College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s criminal justice studies degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at King’s College PA, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $27,269 for pennsylvania criminal justice studies students per year to attend King’s College.
Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at King’s College PA
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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
- *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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