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

19 Ranked Colleges
1,002 Degrees Awarded
$14,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Plains States region, there were 1,698 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,002 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in criminal justice. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent criminal justice programs, but they also 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.

More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice Schools

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 Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

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

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

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Christian College of Kansas landed the #1 spot on the list. Central Christian College is a small school located in McPherson, Kansas that handed out 26 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Central Christian College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Central Christian College is $11,105 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Central Christian College of Kansas Criminal Justice Report

#16 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri Southern State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Joplin, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 69 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

Missouri Southern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Missouri Southern State University is $8,416 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Missouri Southern State University

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southwest Minnesota State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Southwest Minnesota State University is a medium-sized school located in Marshall, Minnesota that handed out 19 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Southwest Minnesota State University also took the #6 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southwest Minnesota State University is $11,410 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Southwest Minnesota State University

#4

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Central Missouri landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Warrensburg, Missouri, this medium-sized public school handed out 130 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

UCM also took the #5 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCM is $12,022 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at University of Central Missouri

#5

Park University

Parkville, Missouri
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Park University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Parkville, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 146 students in 2019-2020.

Park University also took the #2 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,034 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Park University.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Park University

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a fairly large school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 69 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UMKC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $12,553 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at UMKC

#7

Washburn University

Topeka, Kansas
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Washburn University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Washburn University is a public institution located in Topeka, Kansas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Washburn University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Washburn University is $12,850 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Washburn University

#8

Waldorf University

Forest City, Iowa
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Waldorf University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Forest City, Iowa, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Waldorf also took the #1 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Waldorf University is $16,991 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Waldorf University

#9

Rockhurst University

Kansas City, Missouri
#10 in overall quality

Rockhurst University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

Rockhurst also took the #10 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,261 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Rockhurst.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Full Rockhurst Criminal Justice Report

#10

Lincoln University

Jefferson City, Missouri
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Lincoln University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lincoln University is a small public school situated in Jefferson City, Missouri. It awarded 25 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at LU Missouri, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,088 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend LU Missouri.

Read more about Criminal Justice at LU Missouri

#11

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, Iowa
#8 in overall quality

Mount Mercy University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mount Mercy, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Mercy University is $15,098 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Mount Mercy

#12

Southwest Baptist University

Bolivar, Missouri
#17 in overall quality

Southwest Baptist University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Southwest Baptist University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bolivar, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Southwest Baptist University also took the #17 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southwest Baptist University is $17,162 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Southwest Baptist University

#13

Culver - Stockton College

Canton, Missouri
#12 in overall quality

Culver - Stockton College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Culver - Stockton is a small school located in Canton, Missouri that handed out 15 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Culver - Stockton, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Culver - Stockton College is $18,395 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Culver - Stockton College Criminal Justice Report

#14

Grantham University

Lenexa, Kansas
#19 in overall quality

Grantham University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Lenexa, Kansas, this medium-sized private for-profit school awarded 117 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

Grantham University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $8,918 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Grantham University.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Grantham University

#15

Hannibal - LaGrange University

Hannibal, Missouri
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Hannibal - LaGrange University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. HLGU is a small school located in Hannibal, Missouri that handed out 16 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

HLGU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend HLGU is $18,879 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at HLGU

#11 in overall quality

Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. CMU CLAS is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fayette, Missouri. It awarded 23 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

CMU CLAS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for CMU CLAS is $16,826 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at CMU CLAS

#17

Columbia College

Columbia, Missouri
#4 in overall quality

Columbia College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Columbia College Missouri is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 145 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia College Missouri did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Missouri is $24,862 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Columbia College Criminal Justice Report

#18

Evangel University

Springfield, Missouri
#13 in overall quality

Evangel University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Evangel University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Springfield, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Evangel not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $20,232 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Evangel.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Evangel University

#21 in overall quality

Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Drury University - CCPS, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies is $14,884 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies

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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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