2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Criminal Justice is the 32nd most popular major in the country with 33,568 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.
Across the Southeast region, there were 6,826 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,314 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 70 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the criminal justice program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast 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 Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The Citadel is a small school located in Charleston, South Carolina that handed out 64 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
The Citadel not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $7,296 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The Citadel.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 70 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Georgia landed the #2 spot on the list. UGA is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 64 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $7,541 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Georgia.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Mississippi. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Mississippi is a public institution located in University, Mississippi. The school has a large population, and it awarded 139 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ole Miss, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mississippi is $9,455 for Southeast 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dalton State College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Dalton, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Dalton State College is $5,150 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Out of the 70 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Middle Tennessee State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Middle Tennessee State University also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Middle Tennessee State University is $8,919 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Middle Tennessee State University Criminal Justice Report
The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, this fairly large public school handed out 103 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
UT Chattanooga also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga is $8,108 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #7, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 186 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UofSC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $12,426 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of South Carolina - Columbia.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
With a ranking of #8, West Virginia University Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. West Virginia University Tech is located in Beckley, West Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend West Virginia University Tech is $8,142 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at West Virginia University Tech
University of Arkansas - Fort Smith ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fort Smith, Arkansas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 59 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Arkansas - Fort Smith is $7,838 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #10, The University of Tennessee - Martin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Tennessee - Martin is a medium-sized public school situated in Martin, Tennessee. It awarded 35 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Martin is $7,524 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full The University of Tennessee - Martin Criminal Justice Report
Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. VCU is a large public school situated in Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 218 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at VCU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend VCU is $16,768 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
Full Virginia Commonwealth University Criminal Justice Report
University of Memphis ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UofM is a large school located in Memphis, Tennessee that handed out 116 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
UofM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UofM is $10,256 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #13, University of Louisville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Louisville, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 132 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k list, UofL has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $13,058 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Louisville.
With a ranking of #14, Eastern Kentucky University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Richmond, Kentucky, and it awarded 182 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Eastern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern is $12,397 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Eastern Kentucky University
East Tennessee State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Johnson City, Tennessee, and it awarded 77 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for ETSU is $10,632 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of South Carolina - Upstate did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, this medium-sized public school awarded 88 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
USC Upstate did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,543 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend USC Upstate.
Tennessee State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Tennessee State University is $11,015 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Tennessee State University
University of North Alabama ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNA is a public institution located in Florence, Alabama. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of North Alabama is $11,925 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Austin Peay State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Clarksville, Tennessee, this fairly large public school awarded 102 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Austin Peay State University is $10,909 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Austin Peay State University
Georgia College & State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Milledgeville, Georgia, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Georgia College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia College & State University is $13,092 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
Full Georgia College & State University Criminal Justice Report
Mississippi College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Clinton, Mississippi, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
MC also took the #10 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MC is $14,491 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #22, University of South Alabama did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. USA is a public institution located in Mobile, Alabama. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,641 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of South Alabama.
Read more about Criminal Justice at University of South Alabama
With a ranking of #23, Atlanta Metropolitan State College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. AMSC is a small school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 12 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $4,601 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Atlanta Metropolitan State College.
Greensboro College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Greensboro, North Carolina 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.
The estimated yearly cost for Greensboro College is $15,244 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Mercer University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mercer University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Macon, Georgia. It awarded 1 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Mercer did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $17,437 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mercer University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Best Criminal Justice Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southeast Region
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Criminal Justice students in the Southeast Region
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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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