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2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania

18 Ranked Colleges
473 Degrees Awarded
$21,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Pennsylvania” 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 Pennsylvania, there were 727 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 473 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking analyzed 18 colleges that offered 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Pennsylvania”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania

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

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in Pennsylvania

#1

Lock Haven University

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lock Haven University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. Lock Haven University is a small school located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania that handed out 60 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, LHU has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,506 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students per year to attend Lock Haven University.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Lock Haven University

#2

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. This small school is located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Mansfield University also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is $19,065 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Mansfield University

#3

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown

Johnstown, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. Located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, this small public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

Pitt Johnstown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Pitt Johnstown is $19,712 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Pitt Johnstown Criminal Justice Report

#4

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg

Greensburg, Pennsylvania
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt Greensburg did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $17,823 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend Pitt Greensburg.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg

#5

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

Bradford, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pittsburgh - Bradford. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Bradford, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Pitt Bradford also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Pitt Bradford is $18,906 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

The school has an impressive 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 University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

#6

Strayer University - Pennsylvania

Trevose, Pennsylvania
#14 in overall quality

Strayer University - Pennsylvania landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Trevose, Pennsylvania, this small private for-profit school handed out 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, Strayer University - Pennsylvania has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $21,800 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students per year to attend Strayer University - Pennsylvania.

Full Strayer University - Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Report

#7

Peirce College

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#16 in overall quality

Peirce College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Peirce College is a small school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 21 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Peirce also took the #16 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $10,128 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students per year to attend Peirce.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Peirce College

#8

Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Clarion, Pennsylvania
#13 in overall quality

Clarion University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #8. Clarion University is a small public school situated in Clarion, Pennsylvania. It awarded 28 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Clarion University also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $20,011 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Clarion University

#10

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

York College of Pennsylvania came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. York, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.

YCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for York College of Pennsylvania is $20,652 for Pennsylvania 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 more about Criminal Justice at York College of Pennsylvania

#11

Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, Pennsylvania
#3 in overall quality

Waynesburg University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Waynesburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

Waynesburg also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $18,822 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend Waynesburg.

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 Waynesburg University

#12

Mount Aloysius College

Cresson, Pennsylvania
#18 in overall quality

Mount Aloysius College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Mount Aloysius College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cresson, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mount Aloysius, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mount Aloysius is $22,964 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Mount Aloysius

#13

Chestnut Hill College

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

Chestnut Hill College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #13. Chestnut Hill College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, CHC has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $26,357 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend CHC.

Full CHC Criminal Justice Report

#14

Thiel College

Greenville, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

Thiel College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #14. Thiel College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greenville, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Thiel College also took the #15 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $23,731 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students per year to attend Thiel College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Thiel College

#15

Marywood University

Scranton, Pennsylvania
#9 in overall quality

Marywood University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Marywood University is a small school located in Scranton, Pennsylvania that handed out 8 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Marywood did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Marywood is $22,236 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

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 full report on Criminal Justice at Marywood

#16

Alvernia University

Reading, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Alvernia University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Alvernia University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Reading, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Alvernia also took the #10 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Alvernia University is $27,851 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Alvernia

#17

Delaware Valley University

Doylestown, Pennsylvania
#12 in overall quality

Delaware Valley University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Doylestown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

DelVal also took the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Delaware Valley University is $27,587 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

Full DelVal Criminal Justice Report

#18

Widener University

Chester, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

Widener University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #18. Widener is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chester, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Widener, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $31,345 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend Widener.

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%.

Full Widener University Criminal Justice Report

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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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