2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Wisconsin
[Criminal Justice](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value criminal justice schools.
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2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Wisconsin
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools
Northcentral Technical College earned the #1 spot for value among criminal justice schools in Wisconsin. Set in the city of Wausau, Northcentral Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,889, while out-of-state students pay about $7,132. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $14,250 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $49,533. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at Carroll University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Waukesha, Carroll University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,890. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $27,000. Criminal Justice graduates of Carroll University earn a median of $38,101 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 67% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at Marian University Wisconsin, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Fond Du Lac, Marian University Wisconsin is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $35,204 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $27,242. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Marian University Wisconsin generally make around $72,102. Set against $27,242 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
Carthage College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Kenosha, Carthage College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $38,750. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $39,551. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Concordia University Wisconsin is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Mequon, Concordia University Wisconsin is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $35,470. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $27,000. Criminal Justice graduates of Concordia University Wisconsin earn a median of $41,527 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
More Criminal Justice Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 5 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.
