2024 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice in Pennsylvania
22
Ranked Colleges
945
Degrees Awarded
$20,400
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 32,891 people earned their degree in criminal justice, making the major the 27th most popular in the United States.
Across Pennsylvania, there were 945 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in criminal justice. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent criminal justice programs, but they also 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice Schools
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 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania
The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania criminal justice students.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice in Pennsylvania
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Lehigh Carbon Community College landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at LCCC, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $6,897 for pennsylvania criminal justice students per year to attend Lehigh Carbon Community College.
Full LCCC Criminal Justice Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harrisburg Area Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania list. HACC is a fairly large public school situated in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 60 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at HACC, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend HACC is $11,608 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students.
Full Harrisburg Area Community College Criminal Justice Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lock Haven University. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania list. LHU is located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 67 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
LHU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend LHU is $21,245 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students.
Full Lock Haven University Criminal Justice Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Clarion University of Pennsylvania landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Clarion, Pennsylvania, this small public school handed out 44 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
Clarion University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Clarion University of Pennsylvania is $19,452 for pennsylvania criminal justice students.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Clarion University of Pennsylvania
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania. Located in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, this small public school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
Pitt Greensburg also took the #11 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $16,369 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students per year to attend Pitt Greensburg.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 more about Criminal Justice at Pitt Greensburg
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania list. Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is a small school located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania that handed out 29 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Mansfield University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mansfield University of Pennsylvania is $11,793 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Mansfield University
University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown landed the #7 spot on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. This small school is located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 10 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt Johnstown, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown is $17,457 for pennsylvania criminal justice students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Pitt Johnstown
Point Park University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania list. This small school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 8 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Point Park, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Point Park is $21,600 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Point Park
University of Pittsburgh - Bradford ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in Bradford, Pennsylvania, this small public school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
Pitt Bradford also took the #17 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $16,003 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students per year to attend Pitt Bradford.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 more about Criminal Justice at Pitt Bradford
Pennsylvania Highlands Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania list. Pennsylvania Highlands is a small school located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania that handed out 13 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Pennsylvania Highlands not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is $7,790 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
Mercyhurst University landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Mercyhurst is located in Erie, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Mercyhurst also took the #8 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mercyhurst University is $27,283 for pennsylvania criminal justice students.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Mercyhurst University
York College of Pennsylvania landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. York College of Pennsylvania is a small school located in York, Pennsylvania that handed out 52 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania criminal justice students list, YCP has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $22,233 for pennsylvania criminal justice students per year to attend YCP.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.
Full YCP Criminal Justice Report
Strayer University - Pennsylvania came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. This small school is located in Trevose, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 31 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania criminal justice students list, Strayer University - Pennsylvania has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Strayer University - Pennsylvania is $24,298 for pennsylvania criminal justice students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
Full Strayer University - Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Report
With a ranking of #14, Waynesburg University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania list. Waynesburg University is located in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Waynesburg, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Waynesburg University is $19,925 for pennsylvania criminal justice students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Waynesburg University
Robert Morris University landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Robert Morris University is located in Moon Township, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at RMU, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Robert Morris University is $27,954 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Full RMU Criminal Justice Report
Marywood University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
Marywood also made our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Marywood is $20,225 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
Full Marywood Criminal Justice Report
With a ranking of #17, Alvernia University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania list. Alvernia University is a small school located in Reading, Pennsylvania that handed out 35 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania criminal justice students list, Alvernia has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $30,641 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students per year to attend Alvernia University.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Alvernia University
Thiel College landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Greenville, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
Thiel College also took the #18 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Thiel College is $22,431 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students.
Full Thiel College Criminal Justice Report
Delaware Valley University landed the #19 spot on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. This small school is located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 24 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
DelVal also took the #10 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $28,221 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students per year to attend Delaware Valley University.
Read more about Criminal Justice at DelVal
Chestnut Hill College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
CHC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Chestnut Hill College is $24,202 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Criminal Justice at CHC
South Hills School of Business & Technology ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania list. South Hills School of Business & Technology is a private for-profit institution located in State College, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
South Hills School of Business & Technology also made our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for South Hills School of Business & Technology is $18,366 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at South Hills School of Business & Technology
With a ranking of #22, Widener University did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania list. This medium-sized school is located in Chester, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 16 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania criminal justice students list, Widener has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Widener University is $31,792 for Pennsylvania Criminal Justice students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Criminal Justice at Widener
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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
- *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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