2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Nevada
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools
Nevada State College earned the #1 spot for value among criminal justice schools in Nevada. Set in the rural area of Henderson, Nevada State College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,765, while out-of-state students pay about $21,833. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $36,363. That is a strong return on a $19,500 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Nevada Reno is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice, landing the #2 spot this year. University Of Nevada Reno is a very large public school located in the city of Reno. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,578, while out-of-state students pay about $27,720. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $19,918 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from University Of Nevada Reno generally make around $50,691. Set against $19,918 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
[Criminal Justice](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
