2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Virginia
[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.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 13 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 Virginia
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
For return on investment in criminal justice studies, no school beat Northern Virginia Community College this year. Northern Virginia Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Annandale. Students from in state pay about $5,891 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $12,410. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $25,999 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Northern Virginia Community College earn a median of $40,126 early in their careers. Set against $25,999 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Radford University earned it the #2 place for criminal justice studies. Located in the town of Radford, Radford University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $12,548 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $25,633. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $35,935. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice studies will find it at George Mason University, which ranked #3. George Mason University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax. In-state tuition and fees average $14,220, compared with $38,688 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,761 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from George Mason University generally make around $49,815. Set against $20,761 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. George Mason University admits about 88% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice studies will find it at Norfolk State University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Norfolk, Norfolk State University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,180, compared with $21,682 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Norfolk State University earn a median of $54,971 early in their careers. Norfolk State University admits about 88% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Virginia State University earned it the #5 place for criminal justice studies. Virginia State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Petersburg. Students from in state pay about $10,043 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $22,650. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $30,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Virginia State University generally make around $34,604. That is a strong return on a $30,000 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Longwood University earned the #6 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Set in the town of Farmville, Longwood University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,740, with out-of-state students paying around $27,980. Students borrow a median of $23,375 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Longwood University earn a median of $36,254 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Longwood University admits about 90% of applicants.
Virginia Wesleyan College earned the #7 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Set in the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia Wesleyan College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $37,500. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $39,404. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Virginia Wesleyan College admits about 73% of applicants.
University Of Virginia Main Campus ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $23,118, with out-of-state students paying around $61,591. Students borrow a median of $18,627 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of University Of Virginia Main Campus earn a median of $69,126 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,627 median debt. The acceptance rate is 17%.
Ecpi University earned the #9 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Ecpi University is a large private for-profit school located in the city of Virginia Beach. In-state tuition and fees average $18,484. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $29,903. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Ecpi University earn a median of $36,287 early in their careers. Set against $29,903 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Ecpi University admits about 74% of applicants.
Roanoke College ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Set in the suburb of Salem, Roanoke College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,068. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Roanoke College generally make around $33,725. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 83%.
Hampton University landed the #11 spot for criminal justice studies value this year. Hampton University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Hampton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $30,592. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $27,000. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Hampton University earn a median of $46,870 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
Bluefield College placed #12 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Located in the town of Bluefield, Bluefield College is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $26,770. Students borrow a median of $24,250 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Bluefield College generally make around $41,005. That is a strong return on a $24,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 59%.
Liberty University came in at #13 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Set in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $16,173 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $29,323. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Liberty University generally make around $49,329. That is a strong return on a $29,323 median debt. The acceptance rate is 99%.
More Criminal Justice Studies Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 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.
