2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
[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. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminal justice studies education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 20 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value criminal justice studies schools.
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2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
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
College Of Southern Idaho tops our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools in the Rocky Mountains Region. College Of Southern Idaho is a large public school located in the city of Twin Falls. In-state tuition and fees average $3,360, while out-of-state students pay about $6,840. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $11,130. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $30,479. Set against $11,130 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes Snow College one of the best values for criminal justice studies. Set in the town of Ephraim, Snow College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,338, with out-of-state students paying around $14,288. Students borrow a median of $10,440 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $42,776. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Laramie County Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice studies, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the rural area of Cheyenne, Laramie County Community College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,613, while out-of-state students pay about $10,913. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $15,309. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Laramie County Community College earn a median of $51,302 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,309 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice studies will find it at Northwest College, which ranked #4. Northwest College is a small public school located in the town of Powell. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,962, compared with $11,262 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,996 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $40,014. Set against $12,996 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #5 makes Salt Lake Community College one of the best values for criminal justice studies. Salt Lake Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Salt Lake City. Students from in state pay about $4,426 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $14,244. Students borrow a median of $6,334 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $44,042. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
College Of Western Idaho ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Located in the rural area of Nampa, College Of Western Idaho is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,446, compared with $7,454 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $7,381 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of College Of Western Idaho earn a median of $35,959 early in their careers.
Sheridan College ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Located in the town of Sheridan, Sheridan College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $4,830 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $11,130. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $13,910. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $49,039. Set against $13,910 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Weber State University ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Weber State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ogden. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,557, while out-of-state students pay about $17,545. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $19,828 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Weber State University generally make around $43,281. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Southern Utah University came in at #9 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Located in the town of Cedar City, Southern Utah University is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,962, while out-of-state students pay about $21,192. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $17,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Southern Utah University generally make around $39,744. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 82%.
North Idaho College placed #10 among the best values for criminal justice studies. North Idaho College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Coeur d'Alene. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,396, with out-of-state students paying around $8,736. Students borrow a median of $14,688 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from North Idaho College generally make around $49,489. That is a strong return on a $14,688 median debt.
Idaho State University placed #11 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Idaho State University is a large public school located in the city of Pocatello. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,610, with out-of-state students paying around $27,720. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $24,640. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Idaho State University generally make around $51,446. That is a strong return on a $24,640 median debt.
University Of Wyoming ranked #12 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Set in the town of Laramie, University Of Wyoming is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,768, compared with $24,178 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $19,393. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of University Of Wyoming earn a median of $38,797 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Wyoming admits about 97% of applicants.
Mesa State College came in at #13 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Located in the city of Grand Junction, Mesa State College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,927 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $25,124. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $18,000. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Mesa State College earn a median of $51,921 early in their careers. Set against $18,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Mesa State College admits about 82% of applicants.
Metropolitan State College Of Denver placed #14 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Located in the city of Denver, Metropolitan State College Of Denver is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,124, while out-of-state students pay about $30,684. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $26,130 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $44,497. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Metropolitan State College Of Denver admits about 99% of applicants.
Lewis Clark State College came in at #15 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Lewis Clark State College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Lewiston. In-state tuition and fees average $7,610, while out-of-state students pay about $22,028. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $26,458. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Lewis Clark State College generally make around $40,442. Set against $26,458 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Lewis Clark State College admits about 88% of applicants.
Dixie State College Of Utah earned the #16 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Dixie State College Of Utah is a large public school located in the city of Saint George. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,306, with out-of-state students paying around $18,246. Students borrow a median of $17,399 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Dixie State College Of Utah generally make around $31,558. Set against $17,399 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Montana State University Billings earned the #17 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Montana State University Billings is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Billings. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,280, compared with $22,897 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $25,465. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Montana State University Billings earn a median of $48,764 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Colorado Technical University Colorado Springs placed #18 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Colorado Technical University Colorado Springs is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of Colorado Springs. In-state tuition and fees average $12,750. Students borrow a median of $50,705 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $40,342. That is a strong return on a $50,705 median debt.
University Of Northern Colorado earned the #19 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Set in the city of Greeley, University Of Northern Colorado is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,901, while out-of-state students pay about $26,979. Students borrow a median of $18,568 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of University Of Northern Colorado earn a median of $38,422 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Boise State University placed #20 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Set in the city of Boise, Boise State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,048, while out-of-state students pay about $27,788. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $22,071 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $37,891. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 87%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 20 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.
