by our College Data Analytics Team
[Criminal Justice](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminal justice education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for criminal justice students.
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Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice, balancing cost against outcomes.
For return on investment in criminal justice, no school beat Triton College this year. Set in the suburb of River Grove, Triton College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $5,070, with out-of-state students paying around $15,330. Students borrow a median of $12,994 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Triton College earn a median of $43,278 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $12,994 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at Kaskaskia College, which ranked #2. Set in the rural area of Centralia, Kaskaskia College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,800, compared with $12,570 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $7,875 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Kaskaskia College earn a median of $45,658 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Southwestern Illinois College earned it the #3 place for criminal justice. Southwestern Illinois College is a large public school located in the suburb of Belleville. In-state tuition and fees average $4,230, with out-of-state students paying around $6,720. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $11,000 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Southwestern Illinois College earn a median of $44,345 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at Western Illinois University, which ranked #4. Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Macomb. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,572. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the criminal justice program here. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $45,140. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes North Park University one of the best values for criminal justice. Set in the city of Chicago, North Park University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $36,710. Students borrow a median of $27,360 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from North Park University generally make around $43,519. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. North Park University admits about 68% of applicants.
Aurora University came in at #6 for value in criminal justice this year. Aurora University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Aurora. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $29,170. Students borrow a median of $23,635 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Aurora University earn a median of $44,150 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Greenville College came in at #7 for value in criminal justice this year. Set in the town of Greenville, Greenville College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $32,200. Students borrow a median of $25,933 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Greenville College generally make around $36,911. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Greenville College admits about 98% of applicants.
Bradley University landed the #8 spot for criminal justice value this year. Bradley University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Peoria. In-state tuition and fees average $42,160. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Bradley University generally make around $54,513. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Elmhurst College landed the #9 spot for criminal justice value this year. Elmhurst College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Elmhurst. In-state tuition and fees average $42,955. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Elmhurst College earn a median of $38,352 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Elmhurst College admits about 74% of applicants.
Devry University Illinois landed the #10 spot for criminal justice value this year. Set in the suburb of Lisle, Devry University Illinois is a very large private for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $17,008. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $54,985. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Devry University Illinois generally make around $43,091. That is a strong return on a $54,985 median debt. Devry University Illinois admits about 98% of applicants.
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.