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2023 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

34 Ranked Colleges
1,928 Degrees Awarded
$13,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 32,891 people earned their degree in criminal justice, making the major the 27th most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,928 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 34 colleges that offer a degree in criminal justice. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great criminal justice programs and cost less that 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.

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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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

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

1
Oakland Community College crest
Oakland Community College
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Oakland Community College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Oakland Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. It awarded 27 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region criminal justice students with aid list, Oakland Community College has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oakland Community College is $3,665 for great lakes region criminal justice students with aid.

Full Oakland Community College Criminal Justice Report

2
Henry Ford College crest
Henry Ford College
Dearborn, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Henry Ford College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Henry Ford College is a fairly large public school situated in Dearborn, Michigan. It awarded 24 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region criminal justice students with aid list, Henry Ford College has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $3,194 for great lakes region criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Henry Ford College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Henry Ford College

3
Macomb Community College crest
Macomb Community College
Warren, Michigan

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Macomb Community College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Warren, Michigan, and it awarded 33 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Macomb Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Macomb Community College is $9,982 for great lakes region criminal justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Macomb Community College

4
SWIC crest
Southwestern Illinois College
Belleville, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southwestern Illinois College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. This medium-sized school is located in Belleville, Illinois, and it awarded 43 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

SWIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Southwestern Illinois College is $6,995 for Great Lakes Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Southwestern Illinois College

5
Stark State College crest
Stark State College
North Canton, Ohio

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stark State College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. North Canton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

Stark State College also made our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Stark State College is $5,963 for Great Lakes Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Stark State College Criminal Justice Report

6
Ferris crest
Ferris State University
Big Rapids, Michigan

With a ranking of #6, Ferris State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ferris State University is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region criminal justice students with aid list, Ferris has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,213 for Great Lakes Region Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Ferris.

Full Ferris Criminal Justice Report

7

With a ranking of #7, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools 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 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

IUPUI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,416 for great lakes region criminal justice students with aid per year to attend IUPUI.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice at IUPUI

8
Owens State Community College crest
Owens Community College
Perrysburg, Ohio

Owens Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Owens State Community College is a medium-sized school located in Perrysburg, Ohio that handed out 23 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Owens State Community College, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Owens Community College is $10,059 for Great Lakes Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Owens Community College

9
Lake Superior State University crest
Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

Lake Superior State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sault Ste Marie, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 74 students in 2020-2021.

Lake Superior State University also took the #8 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,668 for great lakes region criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Lake Superior State University.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Lake Superior State University

10
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 180 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,058 for great lakes region criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Michigan State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Michigan State University

11

Western Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 305 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $15,305 for Great Lakes Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Western Illinois University

12

With a ranking of #12, Union Institute & University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Union is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 178 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Union also made our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Union Institute & University is $19,861 for great lakes region criminal justice students with aid.

The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Union Institute & University

13
IU East crest
Indiana University - East
Richmond, Indiana

With a ranking of #13, Indiana University - East did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - East is located in Richmond, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 46 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,285 for Great Lakes Region Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend IU East.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at IU East

14
Northern Michigan University crest
Northern Michigan University
Marquette, Michigan

Northern Michigan University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Marquette, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

Northern Michigan University also made our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $15,214 for great lakes region criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Northern Michigan University.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Northern Michigan University

15

With a ranking of #15, Central Ohio Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Newark, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,990 for great lakes region criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Central Ohio Technical College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Central Ohio Technical College

16

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 156 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $17,356 for great lakes region criminal justice students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Grand Valley State University

17
Franklin University crest
Franklin University
Columbus, Ohio

Franklin University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 53 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Franklin University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,201 for Great Lakes Region Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Franklin University.

The undergrad 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 more about Criminal Justice at Franklin University

18

Miami University - Middletown ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Middletown, Ohio, this small public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,970 for Great Lakes Region Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Miami University - Middletown.

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

Full Miami University - Middletown Criminal Justice Report

19

Miami University - Hamilton landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Hamilton, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Hamilton is $13,163 for Great Lakes Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Miami University - Hamilton

20

With a ranking of #20, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 6 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region criminal justice students with aid list, University of Akron Main Campus has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for great lakes region criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at University of Akron Main Campus

21

Bryant & Stratton College - Wauwatosa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Bryant & Stratton College - Wauwatosa is a private for-profit institution located in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Bryant & Stratton College - Wauwatosa is $14,667 for great lakes region criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Bryant & Stratton College - Wauwatosa

22
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Aurora University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

Aurora not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Aurora is $16,994 for Great Lakes Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Aurora

23
Ashland crest
Ashland University
Ashland, Ohio

Ashland University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. This small school is located in Ashland, Ohio, and it awarded 31 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region criminal justice students with aid list, Ashland has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,974 for Great Lakes Region Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Ashland University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Ashland University

24
Tiffin University crest
Tiffin University
Tiffin, Ohio

With a ranking of #24, Tiffin University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Tiffin University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Tiffin, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 62 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tiffin University, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $23,309 for Great Lakes Region Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Tiffin University.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Tiffin University

25

Concordia University, Wisconsin landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Mequon, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

Concordia University, Wisconsin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Wisconsin is $22,996 for Great Lakes Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Concordia University, Wisconsin Criminal Justice Report

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