2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Kentucky
[Criminal Justice](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools to find the best return on investment for criminal justice students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Kentucky
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
Big Sandy Community And Technical College tops our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice schools in Kentucky. Located in the town of Prestonsburg, Big Sandy Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,728, with out-of-state students paying around $6,432. Students borrow a median of $10,994 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Big Sandy Community And Technical College earn a median of $29,432 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes Somerset Community College one of the best values for criminal justice. Set in the town of Somerset, Somerset Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,728, with out-of-state students paying around $6,432. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $14,387. Criminal Justice graduates of Somerset Community College earn a median of $34,245 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Maysville Community And Technical College earned it the #3 place for criminal justice. Located in the rural area of Maysville, Maysville Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,728, with out-of-state students paying around $6,432. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $13,031. Criminal Justice graduates of Maysville Community And Technical College earn a median of $37,769 early in their careers. Set against $13,031 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Elizabethtown Community And Technical College came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Elizabethtown Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Elizabethtown. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,728, while out-of-state students pay about $6,432. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $12,245 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $45,486. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
West Kentucky Community And Technical College came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Set in the city of Paducah, West Kentucky Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,728, with out-of-state students paying around $6,432. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $10,778 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of West Kentucky Community And Technical College earn a median of $31,903 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $10,778 median debt.
Madisonville Community College placed #6 among the best values for criminal justice. Madisonville Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Madisonville. Students from in state pay about $4,728 in tuition and fees, compared with $6,432 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $10,985 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Madisonville Community College earn a median of $41,084 early in their careers. Set against $10,985 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Ashland Community And Technical College placed #7 among the best values for criminal justice. Ashland Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Ashland. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,728, with out-of-state students paying around $6,432. Students borrow a median of $13,485 to complete the criminal justice program here. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $37,826. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Hopkinsville Community College landed the #8 spot for criminal justice value this year. Hopkinsville Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Hopkinsville. Students from in state pay about $4,728 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $6,432. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $13,269. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $43,678. That is a strong return on a $13,269 median debt.
Bluegrass Community And Technical College landed the #9 spot for criminal justice value this year. Bluegrass Community And Technical College is a large public school located in the city of Lexington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,808, while out-of-state students pay about $6,512. Students borrow a median of $10,814 to complete the criminal justice program here. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $44,752. Set against $10,814 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Jefferson Community And Technical College placed #10 among the best values for criminal justice. Set in the city of Louisville, Jefferson Community And Technical College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,808, compared with $6,512 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $11,516 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Jefferson Community And Technical College generally make around $33,316. That is a strong return on a $11,516 median debt.
Eastern Kentucky University landed the #11 spot for criminal justice value this year. Eastern Kentucky University is a large public school located in the town of Richmond. Students from in state pay about $10,320 in tuition and fees, compared with $21,230 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Eastern Kentucky University earn a median of $36,021 early in their careers. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
University Of The Cumberlands placed #12 among the best values for criminal justice. Set in the town of Williamsburg, University Of The Cumberlands is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $9,875 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from University Of The Cumberlands generally make around $43,972. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Louisville ranked #13 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice schools. University Of Louisville is a very large public school located in the city of Louisville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,136, with out-of-state students paying around $29,482. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $18,258 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of University Of Louisville earn a median of $74,173 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,258 median debt. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
Campbellsville University placed #14 among the best values for criminal justice. Campbellsville University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the town of Campbellsville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $27,998. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $21,550. Criminal Justice graduates of Campbellsville University earn a median of $36,849 early in their careers. Set against $21,550 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Campbellsville University admits about 80% of applicants.
More Criminal Justice Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 14 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.
