2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in the Plains States Region” 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.
Across the Plains States region, there were 1,698 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,002 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 21 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 the Plains States Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
Top 21 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Park University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Park University, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Park University is $15,579 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southwest Minnesota State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Southwest Minnesota State University is a medium-sized school located in Marshall, Minnesota that handed out 19 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Southwest Minnesota State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Minnesota State University is $14,397 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Southwest Minnesota State University
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia College landed the #3 spot on the list. Columbia College Missouri is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 145 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Columbia College Missouri not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Missouri is $26,730 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Walden University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Walden University is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 50 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Walden University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Central Missouri. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. UCM is a public institution located in Warrensburg, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, UCM has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Missouri is $13,677 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Waldorf University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #6. This small school is located in Forest City, Iowa, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Waldorf, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Waldorf University is $20,036 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Central Christian College of Kansas came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in McPherson, Kansas, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central Christian College, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central Christian College of Kansas is $14,386 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Central Christian College of Kansas
Missouri Southern State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Missouri Southern is a medium-sized public school situated in Joplin, Missouri. It awarded 69 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Missouri Southern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Southern State University is $9,625 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Missouri Southern State University
Lincoln University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Jefferson City, Missouri, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, LU Missouri has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for LU Missouri is $7,830 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
Washburn University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Washburn University is a medium-sized school located in Topeka, Kansas that handed out 14 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Washburn University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,481 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students per year to attend Washburn University.
Evangel University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Evangel University is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Evangel also took the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Evangel University is $22,837 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. CMU CLAS is a small school located in Fayette, Missouri that handed out 23 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
CMU CLAS also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for CMU CLAS is $21,082 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Full Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Criminal Justice Report
Hannibal - LaGrange University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. HLGU is a small school located in Hannibal, Missouri that handed out 16 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
HLGU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $20,256 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend Hannibal - LaGrange University.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Missouri - Kansas City is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMKC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City is $14,643 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
Full University of Missouri - Kansas City Criminal Justice Report
Southwest Baptist University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Bolivar, Missouri, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Southwest Baptist University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Baptist University is $17,682 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Southwest Baptist University
With a ranking of #16, Culver - Stockton College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Canton, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
Culver - Stockton also took the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Culver - Stockton is $20,919 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
Mount Mercy University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Mount Mercy is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Mount Mercy also took the #8 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mount Mercy is $20,857 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Mount Mercy University
Grantham University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #18. Grantham University is located in Lenexa, Kansas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 117 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Grantham University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grantham University is $8,409 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Rockhurst University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
Rockhurst also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Rockhurst University is $21,116 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Fayette, Missouri, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, CMU CGES has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies is $15,196 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #21. Drury University - CCPS is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Springfield, Missouri. It awarded 32 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Drury University - CCPS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Drury University - CCPS is $13,233 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
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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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