2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Florida
[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 schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminal justice studies education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 16 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for criminal justice studies students.
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2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Florida
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools
For return on investment in criminal justice studies, no school beat Indian River State College this year. Located in the suburb of Fort Pierce, Indian River State College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,764, compared with $10,201 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $9,176 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Indian River State College earn a median of $51,825 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,176 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Florida Atlantic University earned it the #2 place for criminal justice studies. Florida Atlantic University is a very large public school located in the city of Boca Raton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,879, with out-of-state students paying around $17,324. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $18,750. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Florida Atlantic University generally make around $41,963. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Florida Atlantic University admits about 66% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Florida International University earned it the #3 place for criminal justice studies. Located in the suburb of Miami, Florida International University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $6,565 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $18,964. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $18,623. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Florida International University generally make around $42,215. Set against $18,623 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Florida International University admits about 55% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice studies will find it at The University Of West Florida, which ranked #4. The University Of West Florida is a large public school located in the rural area of Pensacola. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,776, while out-of-state students pay about $18,658. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $21,776 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $36,369. That is a strong return on a $21,776 median debt. The acceptance rate is 58%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Polk State College earned it the #5 place for criminal justice studies. Located in the city of Winter Haven, Polk State College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,694, with out-of-state students paying around $9,818. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $14,451 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Polk State College generally make around $47,071. Set against $14,451 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of North Florida landed the #6 spot for criminal justice studies value this year. University Of North Florida is a large public school located in the city of Jacksonville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,964, while out-of-state students pay about $19,407. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $19,375 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $44,450. That is a strong return on a $19,375 median debt. The acceptance rate is 53%.
University Of Central Florida landed the #7 spot for criminal justice studies value this year. University Of Central Florida is a very large public school located in the suburb of Orlando. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,368, with out-of-state students paying around $22,467. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $21,731. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from University Of Central Florida generally make around $41,273. That is a strong return on a $21,731 median debt. The acceptance rate is 40%.
Florida State University earned the #8 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Set in the city of Tallahassee, Florida State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,517, compared with $21,683 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,170 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $46,245. That is a strong return on a $21,170 median debt. The acceptance rate is 24%.
Florida Gulf Coast University came in at #9 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Set in the suburb of Fort Myers, Florida Gulf Coast University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,118, with out-of-state students paying around $25,162. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $21,660. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $40,079. Set against $21,660 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 63%.
Edward Waters College ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Edward Waters College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Jacksonville. In-state tuition and fees average $16,366. Graduates go on to earn a median of $34,782 ten years after entry. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University placed #11 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Located in the city of Tallahassee, Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,785, with out-of-state students paying around $17,725. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $28,500 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University earn a median of $33,776 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 21%.
Saint Leo University came in at #12 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Located in the town of Saint Leo, Saint Leo University is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $30,000 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $30,476. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Saint Leo University earn a median of $46,596 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Florida National University Main Campus placed #13 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Set in the suburb of Hialeah, Florida National University Main Campus is a moderately-sized private for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,368. Students borrow a median of $27,884 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Florida National University Main Campus generally make around $45,302. Set against $27,884 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Saint Thomas University earned the #14 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Located in the suburb of Miami Gardens, Saint Thomas University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $34,770 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $25,000. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $34,192. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Saint Thomas University admits about 98% of applicants.
Nova Southeastern University ranked #15 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Nova Southeastern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Fort Lauderdale. In-state tuition and fees average $38,700. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $25,021. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Nova Southeastern University earn a median of $71,836 early in their careers. Set against $25,021 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 73%.
Southeastern University placed #16 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Set in the city of Lakeland, Southeastern University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $32,950. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Southeastern University earn a median of $41,291 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 53%.
More Criminal Justice Studies Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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.
