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2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

23 Ranked Colleges
1,786 Degrees Awarded
$15,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Criminal Justice & Corrections is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 6th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 113,581 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, criminal justice and corrections graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,952 and had an average of $24,936 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 2,972 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,492 and $25,635 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,786 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in criminal justice and corrections. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great criminal justice and corrections programs and 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 and corrections 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 & Corrections Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 195 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIC has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,648 for illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at UIC

#3

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

GSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $10,872 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Governors State University.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at GSU

#4

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 291 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $13,942 for illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at WIU

#5

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lewis University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Romeoville, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 109 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

Lewis also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Lewis University is $12,821 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Lewis University

#6

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 160 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,470 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Illinois State University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#7

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $11,266 for illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SXU Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#12 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k list, SIUC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $13,658 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SIUC Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIS, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIS is $9,771 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at UIS

#10

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Aurora University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Aurora, Illinois. It awarded 67 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora University is $14,103 for illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Aurora Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#11

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of St Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

University of Saint Francis also took the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $15,847 for illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Saint Francis

#12

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $16,903 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Elmhurst Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#13

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Peoria, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,205 for illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bradley University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Bradley

#14

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, North Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

North Park not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,808 for illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Park University.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at North Park

#15

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Quincy University is a small school located in Quincy, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k list, Quincy U has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Quincy University is $15,292 for illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Quincy University

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#17

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 32 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $15,806 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Olivet Nazarene University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#18

Lincoln College

Lincoln, Illinois

Lincoln College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lincoln College is a small school located in Lincoln, Illinois that handed out 26 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Lincoln College also took the #18 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,845 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lincoln College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Lincoln College

#19

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. CSU is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chicago State University is $11,507 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive 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 full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at CSU

#20

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt also took the #21 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt University is $20,398 for illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Roosevelt University

#21

Benedictine University

Lisle, Illinois

Benedictine University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Benedictine University is located in Lisle, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k list, Benedictine U has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Benedictine U is $22,862 for illinois bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Benedictine U Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#22

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 83 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Loyola University Chicago is $29,440 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Loyola Chicago

#23

DeVry University - Illinois

Chicago, Illinois

DeVry University - Illinois ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

DeVry University - Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for DeVry University - Illinois is $28,189 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full DeVry University - Illinois Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

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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

Footnotes

  • *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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