2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 33,568 people earned their degree in criminal justice, making the major the 32nd most popular in the United States.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 2,365 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,328 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 30 colleges that offered a degree in criminal justice. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great criminal justice 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 program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
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Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Michigan State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 139 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Ferris State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Big Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 46 students in 2019-2020.
Ferris also took the #5 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ferris is $7,207 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k list, IUPUI has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lake Superior State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Lake Superior State University is a small school located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan that handed out 42 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k list, Lake Superior State University has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Superior State University is $7,067 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Valley State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 165 students in 2019-2020.
GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $11,578 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Grand Valley State University
Franklin University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.
Franklin University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Franklin University is $11,328 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Indiana University - East ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU East is a small public school situated in Richmond, Indiana. It awarded 47 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
IU East also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - East is $3,622 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Oakland University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $7,490 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Western Illinois University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 291 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k list, WIU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $13,942 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Western Illinois University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,658 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUC.
Union Institute & University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Union not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Union is $16,585 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low 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%.
Miami University - Middletown did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Middletown, Ohio, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Middletown is $11,810 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Miami University - Middletown
Miami University - Hamilton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Miami University - Hamilton is a small school located in Hamilton, Ohio that handed out 18 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Hamilton is $8,993 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Miami University - Hamilton
University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. University of St Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,847 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of St Francis.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at University of Saint Francis
Elmhurst University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,903 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Elmhurst University.
The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.
Calumet College of Saint Joseph ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CCSJ is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Whiting, Indiana. It awarded 43 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $8,230 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CCSJ.
Full Calumet College of Saint Joseph Criminal Justice Report
Bradley University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $17,205 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Heidelberg University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Heidelberg University is located in Tiffin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Heidelburg College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Heidelberg University is $16,385 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Carroll University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Waukesha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
Carroll U also took the #9 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carroll University is $19,900 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Concordia University, Wisconsin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Concordia University, Wisconsin is a medium-sized school located in Mequon, Wisconsin that handed out 13 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Concordia University, Wisconsin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,297 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Concordia University, Wisconsin.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Concordia University, Wisconsin
Trine University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Trine is a private not-for-profit institution located in Angola, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Trine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Trine is $19,700 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Ashland University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ashland University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ashland, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Ashland also took the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ashland is $15,675 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
The University of Findlay ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Findlay, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.
Findlay also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend The University of Findlay is $22,220 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #24, Tiffin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Tiffin, Ohio, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k list, Tiffin University has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,793 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tiffin University.
Adrian College landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Adrian is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Adrian, Michigan. It awarded 18 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k list, Adrian has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Adrian is $24,964 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
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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
Footnotes
- *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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