2026 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 best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 5 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value criminal justice schools.
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2026 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. Rhode Island College admits about 92% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Johnson And Wales University Providence earned it the #2 place for criminal justice. Located in the city of Providence, Johnson And Wales University Providence is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $41,982. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Johnson And Wales University Providence generally make around $44,913. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Johnson And Wales University Providence admits about 88% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Salve Regina University earned it the #3 place for criminal justice. Located in the suburb of Newport, Salve Regina University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $50,100. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $27,000. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $62,637. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Salve Regina University admits about 68% of applicants.
Roger Williams University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice, landing the #4 spot this year. Roger Williams University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Bristol. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,197. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Roger Williams University generally make around $49,996. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Roger Williams University admits about 88% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
