2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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” 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” ranking analyzed 243 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. 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
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Phoenix - Arizona. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large private for-profit school awarded 742 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students 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. The yearly cost to attend UOPX - Arizona is $12,944 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at University of Phoenix - Arizona
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Phoenix - California. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s. University of Phoenix - California is a small school located in Costa Mesa, California that handed out 122 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
UOPX - California also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. 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 UOPX - California is $12,664 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado State University - Global Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Colorado State University - Global Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Greenwood Village, Colorado. It awarded 77 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado State University - Global Campus, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking.
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%.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Colorado State University - Global Campus
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Union Institute & University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s. 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” list. The estimated yearly cost for Union is $16,585 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
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. 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%.
Wilmington University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Wilmington University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in New Castle, Delaware. It awarded 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 ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,683 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend Wilmington University.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Wilmington University
Park University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. 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 excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Park University is $15,579 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Western Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 291 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $16,210 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
With a ranking of #9, Arizona State University - Skysong did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Scottsdale, Arizona, this large public school awarded 211 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, ASU - Skysong is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. 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 Arizona State University - Skysong is $13,971 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Arizona State University - Skysong
With a ranking of #10, Ferris State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, Ferris has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ferris is $12,889 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
With a ranking of #10, University of Phoenix - Hawaii did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Phoenix - Hawaii is a private for-profit institution located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Criminal Justice at University of Phoenix - Hawaii
Excelsior University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Excelsior University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Albany, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Excelsior University also took the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking.
Southwest Minnesota State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Southwest Minnesota State University is a public institution located in Marshall, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,397 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend Southwest Minnesota State University.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Southwest Minnesota State University
Columbia College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Columbia College Missouri is a private not-for-profit institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 145 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $26,730 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend Columbia College.
Thomas University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Thomas University is located in Thomasville, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, TU also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Thomas University is $23,105 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
With a ranking of #16, University of Phoenix - Nevada did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, this small private for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at University of Phoenix - Nevada
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. UT Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 424 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UT Rio Grande Valley is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $4,514 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
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 UT Rio Grande Valley
With a ranking of #18, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 165 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at GVSU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,646 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend Grand Valley State University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #19, Texas A & M University - Central Texas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Killeen, Texas, this small public school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Texas A & M University - Central Texas 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.
Full Texas A & M University - Central Texas Criminal Justice Report
Lake Superior State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Lake Superior State University is $12,398 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Lake Superior State University
Walden University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
National University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. National University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 105 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
National University also took the #22 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
With a ranking of #23, University of Central Missouri did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Central Missouri is located in Warrensburg, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 130 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Missouri is $13,677 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
With a ranking of #24, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Criminal Justice Report
University of Phoenix - Texas came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this small private for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UOPX - Texas is $12,237 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Rest of the Best 37 in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s
Not only did these schools make the top 37 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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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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