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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (With Aid)

229 Ranked Colleges
14,523 Degrees Awarded
$11,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

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 For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 33,568 people earned their degree in criminal justice, making the major the 32nd most popular in the United States.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 229 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminal justice. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality criminal justice programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

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 For Those Getting Aid” 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 For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (With Aid)

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 1,193 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, John Jay has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,532 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Read more about Criminal Justice at John Jay

Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. 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 excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $4,514 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

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 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Top 20% in overall quality

Out of the 229 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A & M University - Central Texas landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Killeen, Texas, this small public school awarded 35 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

Texas A & M University - Central Texas also claimed a top spot 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.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Texas A & M University - Central Texas

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Phoenix - Arizona. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UOPX - Arizona is a large private for-profit school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 742 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UOPX - Arizona, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,944 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend UOPX - Arizona.

Full UOPX - Arizona Criminal Justice Report

#5

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Franklin University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

It costs about $12,895 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Franklin University.

Full Franklin University Criminal Justice Report

Utah Valley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Orem, Utah, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,159 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Utah Valley University.

Full Utah Valley University Criminal Justice Report

#7

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

Ferris State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Ferris State University is located in Big Rapids, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Ferris also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Ferris State University is $12,889 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Ferris 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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. 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.

It costs about $6,543 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Dalton State College.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Dalton State College

#9

Union Institute & University

Cincinnati, Ohio
#1 in overall quality

Union Institute & University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Union Institute & University is a small school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 146 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Union did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Union is $16,585 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Union

#10

Monroe College

Bronx, New York
Top 20% in overall quality

Monroe College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bronx, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 197 students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Monroe College also did well 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. It costs about $11,323 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Monroe College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Monroe College

#11

Colorado State University - Global Campus

Greenwood Village, Colorado
#14 in overall quality

Colorado State University - Global Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Colorado State University - Global Campus is a fairly large school located in Greenwood Village, Colorado that handed out 77 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado State University - Global Campus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Colorado State University - Global Campus Criminal Justice Report

Top 20% in overall quality

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, IUPUI is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $11,285 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#13

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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. This medium-sized school is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and it awarded 105 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern State University is $9,994 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Northeastern State University

#14

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Phoenix - California came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UOPX - California is located in Costa Mesa, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 122 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

UOPX - California 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 estimated yearly cost for University of Phoenix - California is $12,664 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full UOPX - California Criminal Justice Report

#15

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Richmond, Indiana, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,722 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - East.

Read more about Criminal Justice at IU East

#16

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and it awarded 118 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Middle Tennessee State University is $12,464 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Middle Tennessee State University

#17

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#3 in overall quality

Michigan State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 139 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $19,173 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Michigan State Criminal Justice Report

#18

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Western Illinois University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 291 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Western Illinois University

#19

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. ECU is a small school located in Ada, Oklahoma that handed out 18 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,334 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend ECU.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at East Central University

University of Puerto Rico - Carolina did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. University of Puerto Rico - Carolina is a public institution located in Carolina, . The school has a small population, and it awarded 120 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Puerto Rico - Carolina is $8,778 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Full UPR Carolina Criminal Justice Report

#20

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#4 in overall quality

University of Georgia landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Georgia is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 64 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

UGA also took the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $13,649 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

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%.

Full University of Georgia Criminal Justice Report

#22

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
Top 15% in overall quality

Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Scottsdale, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 211 students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, ASU - Skysong also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $13,971 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Arizona State University - Skysong.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at ASU - Skysong

#22

Peirce College

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #22, Peirce College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Peirce College is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Peirce is $10,128 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Peirce

With a ranking of #23, West Virginia University Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. West Virginia University Institute of Technology is a public institution located in Beckley, West Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend West Virginia University Institute of Technology is $10,569 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice at West Virginia University Institute of Technology

#24

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

University of Central Missouri did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Warrensburg, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 130 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Missouri is $13,677 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full University of Central Missouri Criminal Justice Report

#25

Wilmington University

New Castle, Delaware
Top 20% in overall quality

Wilmington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Wilmington University is a fairly large school located in New Castle, Delaware that handed out 99 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Wilmington University also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Wilmington University is $14,683 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Wilmington University

Rest of the Best 35 in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 35 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith

Fort Smith, Arkansas
#28

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#30

University of Mississippi

University, Mississippi
#31

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania
#32

Nevada State College

Henderson, Nevada
#33

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina
#34

St. Joseph's College - New York

Brooklyn, New York
#35

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

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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