Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

30 Ranked Colleges
1,328 Degrees Awarded
$17,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 Great Lakes region, there were 2,365 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,328 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 30 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The criminal justice school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

#1

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio
#22 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Franklin University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Franklin University, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Franklin University is $12,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Franklin University

#2

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ferris State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Ferris not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,889 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Ferris State University.

Full Ferris State University Criminal Justice Report

#3

Union Institute & University

Cincinnati, Ohio
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Union Institute & University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Union is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 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 in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Union Institute & University is $16,585 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Union Institute & University

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $11,285 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full IUPUI Criminal Justice Report

#5

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana
#25 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - East. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Richmond, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.

IU East not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend IU East is $7,722 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Full Indiana University - East Criminal Justice Report

#6

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 139 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, Michigan State has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $19,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Michigan State Criminal Justice Report

#7

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 291 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, WIU has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend WIU.

Full Western Illinois University Criminal Justice Report

#8

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#4 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school handed out 165 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Criminal Justice at GVSU

#9

Lake Superior State University

Sault Ste Marie, Michigan
#16 in overall quality

Lake Superior State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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.

Lake Superior State University also took the #16 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Superior State University is $12,398 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Lake Superior State University

#10

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Oakland is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oakland, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,802 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Oakland.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Oakland

#11 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Miami University - Hamilton landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Hamilton, Ohio, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,559 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Miami University - Hamilton.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Miami University - Hamilton

#13

Miami University - Middletown

Middletown, Ohio

Miami University - Middletown landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Miami University - Middletown is located in Middletown, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Middletown is $14,630 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Full Miami University - Middletown Criminal Justice Report

#14

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Saint Francis, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,538 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at University of Saint Francis

Calumet College of Saint Joseph landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Whiting, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 43 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,275 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Calumet College of Saint Joseph.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Calumet College of Saint Joseph

#16

Ashland University

Ashland, Ohio
#7 in overall quality

Ashland University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ashland University is located in Ashland, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Ashland did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ashland University is $20,111 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Ashland

#17

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Elmhurst University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $21,485 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Elmhurst University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Elmhurst

#18

Heidelberg University

Tiffin, Ohio
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Heidelberg University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Heidelberg University is a small school located in Tiffin, Ohio that handed out 4 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, Heidelburg College has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Heidelburg College is $20,893 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Heidelburg College

#19

Carroll University

Waukesha, Wisconsin
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Carroll University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Carroll University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Waukesha, Wisconsin. It awarded 13 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Carroll U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Carroll University is $23,355 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Carroll University

#20

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Bradley University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Peoria, Illinois 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 12 students in 2019-2020.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $25,634 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

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

Full Bradley Criminal Justice Report

#21

Olivet College

Olivet, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

Olivet College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Olivet is a small school located in Olivet, Michigan that handed out 5 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet also took the #24 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $21,464 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Olivet College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Olivet

#22

Concordia University, Wisconsin

Mequon, Wisconsin
#18 in overall quality

Concordia University, Wisconsin ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Concordia University, Wisconsin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mequon, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Wisconsin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Wisconsin is $23,855 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Concordia University, Wisconsin

#23

Adrian College

Adrian, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

Adrian College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Adrian is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Adrian, Michigan. It awarded 18 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Adrian also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Adrian is $26,101 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Adrian

#24

Tiffin University

Tiffin, Ohio
#23 in overall quality

Tiffin University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Tiffin, Ohio, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Tiffin University also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Tiffin University is $21,746 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Tiffin University

#25

Trine University

Angola, Indiana
#21 in overall quality

Trine University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Trine is a private not-for-profit institution located in Angola, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, Trine has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Trine University is $23,202 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Trine

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Criminal Justice Administration Schools

Find Schools Near You