2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Georgia
[Criminal Justice](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for criminal justice students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Georgia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the criminal justice degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools
For return on investment in criminal justice, no school beat Dalton State College this year. Set in the city of Dalton, Dalton State College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,336, with out-of-state students paying around $10,656. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $10,550 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Dalton State College earn a median of $37,856 early in their careers. Set against $10,550 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Atlanta Technical College came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Set in the city of Atlanta, Atlanta Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,382, compared with $5,950 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $17,655 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Atlanta Technical College generally make around $35,441. Set against $17,655 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of North Georgia earned it the #3 place for criminal justice. Located in the town of Dahlonega, University Of North Georgia is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,444, compared with $16,956 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,363 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from University Of North Georgia generally make around $41,598. Set against $22,363 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of North Georgia admits about 68% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Georgia Highlands College earned it the #4 place for criminal justice. Georgia Highlands College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Rome. Students from in state pay about $3,120 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $10,080. Students borrow a median of $15,134 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Georgia Highlands College earn a median of $56,814 early in their careers. Set against $15,134 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at Atlanta Metropolitan State College, which ranked #5. Atlanta Metropolitan State College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Atlanta. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,248, while out-of-state students pay about $10,400. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $26,529 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Atlanta Metropolitan State College earn a median of $37,342 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Georgia earned the #6 position for value in criminal justice this year. University Of Georgia is a very large public school located in the city of Athens. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,450, compared with $31,688 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $22,978 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of University Of Georgia earn a median of $37,405 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Georgia admits about 38% of applicants.
Georgia Southwestern State University earned the #7 position for value in criminal justice this year. Located in the town of Americus, Georgia Southwestern State University is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,220, while out-of-state students pay about $16,572. Students borrow a median of $28,245 to complete the criminal justice program here. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $52,428. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 75%.
Kennesaw State University ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Set in the suburb of Kennesaw, Kennesaw State University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,808, compared with $17,736 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $26,000. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Kennesaw State University generally make around $39,566. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Roughly 69% of applicants are accepted.
Georgia Military College Milledgeville ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Located in the town of Milledgeville, Georgia Military College Milledgeville is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,605. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $12,401 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Georgia Military College Milledgeville earn a median of $26,636 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Thomas University landed the #10 spot for criminal justice value this year. Located in the town of Thomasville, Thomas University is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $11,640 in tuition and fees. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $33,848 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Thomas University earn a median of $52,991 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Georgia College And State University came in at #11 for value in criminal justice this year. Located in the town of Milledgeville, Georgia College And State University is a moderately-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,186, while out-of-state students pay about $29,512. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Georgia College And State University generally make around $39,133. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Georgia College And State University admits about 78% of applicants.
Strayer University Georgia placed #12 among the best values for criminal justice. Strayer University Georgia is a moderately-sized private for-profit school located in the suburb of Chamblee. Students from in state pay about $13,920 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $56,937 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Strayer University Georgia earn a median of $43,405 early in their careers. Set against $56,937 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Mercer University earned the #13 position for value in criminal justice this year. Mercer University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Macon. Students from in state pay about $31,565 in tuition and fees. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $46,775 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Mercer University generally make around $37,319. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 69%.
Atlanta Christian College ranked #14 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Set in the town of West Point, Atlanta Christian College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $23,950. Students borrow a median of $35,131 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Atlanta Christian College earn a median of $30,628 early in their careers. Set against $35,131 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 44%.
South Universitysavannah Online came in at #15 for value in criminal justice this year. Located in the city of Savannah, South Universitysavannah Online is a large private for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,895. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $55,652 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of South Universitysavannah Online earn a median of $39,806 early in their careers. Set against $55,652 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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 · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 15 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.
