2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Iowa
[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 19 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 Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools
Western Iowa Tech Community College earned the #1 spot for value among criminal justice studies schools in Iowa. Western Iowa Tech Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Sioux City. In-state tuition and fees average $5,186, compared with $5,330 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $11,500 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $43,547. That is a strong return on a $11,500 median debt.
Hawkeye Community College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Hawkeye Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Waterloo. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,525, compared with $6,612 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $11,000. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Hawkeye Community College generally make around $49,572. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice studies will find it at Iowa Central Community College, which ranked #3. Located in the town of Fort Dodge, Iowa Central Community College is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,496, with out-of-state students paying around $7,788. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $14,473 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Iowa Central Community College generally make around $39,121. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Kirkwood Community College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Located in the city of Cedar Rapids, Kirkwood Community College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $6,176 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $8,220. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $15,779. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Kirkwood Community College generally make around $41,681. Set against $15,779 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Des Moines Area Community College came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Set in the suburb of Ankeny, Des Moines Area Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,790, with out-of-state students paying around $6,690. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $12,000 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $42,555. That is a strong return on a $12,000 median debt.
Indian Hills Community College landed the #6 spot for criminal justice studies value this year. Set in the town of Ottumwa, Indian Hills Community College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,040, while out-of-state students pay about $6,120. Students borrow a median of $15,390 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Indian Hills Community College earn a median of $49,626 early in their careers. Set against $15,390 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Iowa State University earned the #7 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Iowa State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ames. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,787, while out-of-state students pay about $28,881. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $23,250 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $41,624. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Eastern Iowa Community College District ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Eastern Iowa Community College District is a large public school located in the city of Davenport. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,848, while out-of-state students pay about $6,456. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $15,995 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $41,510. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Iowa Western Community College earned the #9 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Located in the suburb of Council Bluffs, Iowa Western Community College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,930, with out-of-state students paying around $7,080. Students borrow a median of $15,153 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Iowa Western Community College generally make around $43,444. Set against $15,153 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Graceland University Lamoni placed #10 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Graceland University Lamoni is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Lamoni. Students from in state pay about $19,848 in tuition and fees. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $27,509 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Graceland University Lamoni earn a median of $63,443 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,509 median debt. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Coe College landed the #11 spot for criminal justice studies value this year. Coe College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cedar Rapids. In-state tuition and fees average $54,666. Students borrow a median of $26,900 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Coe College generally make around $44,511. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 64%.
Waldorf College came in at #12 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Set in the rural area of Forest City, Waldorf College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $25,978. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $42,735. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Buena Vista University ranked #13 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Buena Vista University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Storm Lake. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,798. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Buena Vista University generally make around $37,641. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Loras College earned the #14 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Set in the city of Dubuque, Loras College is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $39,824. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $27,000. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $47,413. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 100%.
Grand View University ranked #15 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Located in the city of Des Moines, Grand View University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $34,762 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $26,485. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Grand View University generally make around $45,175. That is a strong return on a $26,485 median debt. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Simpson College landed the #16 spot for criminal justice studies value this year. Simpson College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Indianola. In-state tuition and fees average $47,656. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $42,862. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Dubuque placed #17 among the best values for criminal justice studies. University Of Dubuque is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Dubuque. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $42,095. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $27,000. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $46,307. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
Saint Ambrose University ranked #18 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Located in the city of Davenport, Saint Ambrose University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,658. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $27,528 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Saint Ambrose University earn a median of $43,579 early in their careers. Set against $27,528 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Morningside College ranked #19 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Located in the city of Sioux City, Morningside College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $39,519. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $27,281. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Morningside College earn a median of $54,988 early in their careers. Set against $27,281 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 71%.
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 · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 19 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.
