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2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

216 Ranked Colleges
14,523 Degrees Awarded
$10,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Criminal Justice is the 32nd most popular major in the country with 33,568 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 14,523 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 216 colleges that offer a degree in criminal justice. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality criminal justice programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $30-$48k)

#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. John Jay is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1,193 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at John Jay, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend John Jay is $3,108 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full John Jay Criminal Justice Report

Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 424 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $3,473 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at UT Rio Grande Valley

#3

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Franklin University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Franklin University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 20 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Franklin University is $11,992 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Franklin University

#4

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Georgia. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UGA is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 64 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA also took the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,241 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Georgia.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at UGA

Top 20% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

IUPUI excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $6,315 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at IUPUI

#6

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

Ferris State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Big Rapids, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ferris has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,521 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ferris.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Ferris

#7

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#16 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 also took the #16 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,459 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend GVSU.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Grand Valley State University Criminal Justice Report

#8

Dalton State College

Dalton, Georgia

Dalton State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Dalton, Georgia, this small public school handed out 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,799 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dalton State College.

Full DSC Criminal Justice Report

#9

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oakland is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 3 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $7,751 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Oakland

Top 25% in overall quality

Central Christian College of Kansas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in McPherson, Kansas, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,105 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Central Christian College of Kansas.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Central Christian College of Kansas

#11

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina
#9 in overall quality

Citadel Military College of South Carolina did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. The Citadel is a small public school situated in Charleston, South Carolina. It awarded 64 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The Citadel also took the #9 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Citadel Military College of South Carolina is $11,373 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Citadel Military College of South Carolina

#12

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Phoenix - California landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Costa Mesa, California, and it awarded 122 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UOPX - California also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at UOPX - California

#13

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Indiana University - East is a small public school situated in Richmond, Indiana. It awarded 47 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend IU East is $5,002 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at IU East

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Western Illinois University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,526 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend WIU.

Full WIU Criminal Justice Report

#15

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Northeastern State University is a medium-sized school located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma that handed out 105 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,543 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NSU.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Northeastern State University

#16

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi

University of Mississippi ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Mississippi is located in University, Mississippi and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 139 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Mississippi is $11,566 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Ole Miss Criminal Justice Report

#17

St. Joseph's College - New York

Brooklyn, New York
Top 15% in overall quality

St. Joseph’s College - New York came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. St. Joseph’s College - New York is located in Brooklyn, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 51 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, SJC is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for St. Joseph’s College - New York is $16,162 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at SJC

#18

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts - Lowell landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Lowell, Massachusetts, and it awarded 209 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMass Lowell has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell is $12,330 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice at University of Massachusetts - Lowell

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 742 students in 2019-2020.

UOPX - Arizona also took the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UOPX - Arizona is $13,378 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UOPX - Arizona Criminal Justice Report

#19

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
Top 15% in overall quality

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, this large public school awarded 211 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

ASU - Skysong excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Skysong is $12,020 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at ASU - Skysong

#20

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $16,252 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Mansfield University.

Full Mansfield University Criminal Justice Report

#21

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Lake Superior State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lake Superior State University is located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,640 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lake Superior State University.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Lake Superior State University

#22

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Middle Tennessee State University is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 118 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,637 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Middle Tennessee State University.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Middle Tennessee State University

#23

Monroe College

Bronx, New York
Top 20% in overall quality

Monroe College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Bronx, New York, and it awarded 197 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Monroe College is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Monroe College is $10,261 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Monroe College Criminal Justice Report

#24

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Ada, Oklahoma, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for East Central University is $8,259 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at East Central University

Missouri Southern State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Missouri Southern State University is located in Joplin, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Missouri Southern is $8,416 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Missouri Southern State University

Rest of the Best 33 in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith

Fort Smith, Arkansas
#31

Nevada State College

Henderson, Nevada

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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