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

66 Ranked Colleges
3,314 Degrees Awarded
$12,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region 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 in the Southeast Region 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.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 66 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 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 $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region

#1

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Georgia. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school handed out 64 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $10,241 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Georgia.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full UGA Criminal Justice Report

#2

Dalton State College

Dalton, Georgia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dalton State College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. DSC is a public institution located in Dalton, Georgia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for DSC is $5,799 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Dalton State College Criminal Justice Report

#3

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public institution located in Charleston, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at The Citadel, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Citadel Military College of South Carolina is $11,373 for Southeast Region 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 87%. 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%.

Full The Citadel Criminal Justice Report

#4

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
#13 in overall quality

Out of the 66 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Mississippi landed the #4 spot on the list. University, Mississippi is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 139 students in 2019-2020.

Ole Miss also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend University of Mississippi is $11,566 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Mississippi Criminal Justice Report

#5

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee
#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Middle Tennessee State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Middle Tennessee State University also took the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $10,637 for Southeast Region 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

West Virginia University Institute of Technology landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Beckley, West Virginia, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,753 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend West Virginia University Institute of Technology.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at West Virginia University Tech

With a ranking of #7, University of Arkansas - Fort Smith did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Arkansas - Fort Smith is a public institution located in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,392 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UAFS.

Read more about Criminal Justice at UAFS

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, The University of Tennessee - Chattanooga did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, this fairly large public school handed out 103 diplomas 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 estimated yearly cost for UT Chattanooga is $10,515 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UT Chattanooga Criminal Justice Report

#9

Point University

West Point, Georgia

Point University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in West Point, Georgia, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Point is $15,143 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Point University

#10

University of Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky
#9 in overall quality

University of Louisville landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UofL is a large public school situated in Louisville, Kentucky. It awarded 132 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UofL also took the #9 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Louisville is $14,341 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at University of Louisville

#11

University of Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee
#22 in overall quality

University of Memphis came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Memphis, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 116 students in 2019-2020.

UofM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UofM is $12,264 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UofM Criminal Justice Report

#12

Eastern Kentucky University

Richmond, Kentucky
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, 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 $30-$48k list. Located in Richmond, Kentucky, this fairly large public school handed out 182 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Eastern, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,641 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Eastern.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Eastern Kentucky University

The University of Tennessee - Martin landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UT Martin is a public institution located in Martin, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UT Martin is $9,855 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at UT Martin

#14

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution located in Richmond, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 218 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

VCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for VCU is $17,529 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full VCU Criminal Justice Report

#15

Mississippi College

Clinton, Mississippi
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Mississippi College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Clinton, Mississippi is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k list, MC has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $14,938 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Mississippi College.

Full Mississippi College Criminal Justice Report

#16

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, 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 $30-$48k list. Columbia, South Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 186 students in 2019-2020.

UofSC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of South Carolina - Columbia is $16,111 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Criminal Justice at University of South Carolina - Columbia

#17

Hampton University

Hampton, Virginia
#17 in overall quality

Hampton University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Hampton is a small school located in Hampton, Virginia that handed out 29 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Hampton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Hampton University is $25,609 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Hampton University Criminal Justice Report

#18

Tennessee State University

Nashville, Tennessee

Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Tennessee State University is a public institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 70 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,711 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tennessee State University.

Full Tennessee State University Criminal Justice Report

#19

University of South Carolina - Upstate

Spartanburg, South Carolina
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of South Carolina - Upstate did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. USC Upstate is a public institution located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 88 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC Upstate not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $15,021 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of South Carolina - Upstate.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at USC Upstate

#20

East Tennessee State University

Johnson City, Tennessee

East Tennessee State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. ETSU is a fairly large public school situated in Johnson City, Tennessee. It awarded 77 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for ETSU is $12,703 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at ETSU

#21

University of North Alabama

Florence, Alabama

With a ranking of #21, University of North Alabama did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Florence, Alabama, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Alabama is $12,787 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at University of North Alabama

#22

Georgia College & State University

Milledgeville, Georgia
#7 in overall quality

Georgia College & State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Georgia College is a public institution located in Milledgeville, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgia College, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $14,779 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Georgia College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Georgia College

#23

University of South Alabama

Mobile, Alabama

University of South Alabama ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Mobile, Alabama, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for USA is $13,079 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at University of South Alabama

#24

Austin Peay State University

Clarksville, Tennessee

Austin Peay State University 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 $30-$48k ranking. Austin Peay State University is located in Clarksville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,298 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Austin Peay State University.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Austin Peay State University

With a ranking of #25, 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 $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,669 for southeast region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Atlanta Metropolitan State College.

Full AMSC Criminal Justice Report

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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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