2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Rhode Island
[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.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for criminal justice students.
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2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Rhode Island
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools
For return on investment in criminal justice, no school beat Rhode Island College this year. Set in the suburb of Providence, Rhode Island College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,300, with out-of-state students paying around $27,299. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $21,625. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Rhode Island College generally make around $38,163. That is a strong return on a $21,625 median debt. The acceptance rate is 92%.
A rank of #2 makes Johnson And Wales University Providence one of the best values for criminal justice. Located in the city of Providence, Johnson And Wales University Providence is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $41,982 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $27,000. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $44,913. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Salve Regina University one of the best values for criminal justice. Set in the suburb of Newport, Salve Regina University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $50,100. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Salve Regina University earn a median of $62,637 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Roger Williams University earned it the #4 place for criminal justice. Located in the suburb of Bristol, Roger Williams University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,197. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Roger Williams University earn a median of $49,996 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roger Williams University admits about 88% of applicants.
More Criminal Justice Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
