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2023 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $0-$30k) in California

47 Ranked Colleges
15,960 Degrees Awarded
$5,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in California 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 7th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 113,121 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, criminal justice and corrections graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,465 and had an average of $25,425 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 15,960 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,381 and $19,225 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 47 colleges that offered 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the criminal justice and corrections program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The criminal justice school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $0-$30k) in California

1
Golden West College crest
Golden West College
Huntington Beach, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Golden West College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Golden West College is located in Huntington Beach, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 170 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Golden West College also took the #3 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Golden West College is $3,094 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Golden West College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 330 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. It costs about $1,887 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Cal State LA

3
SRJC crest
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Santa Rosa Junior College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. SRJC is located in Santa Rosa, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 173 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

SRJC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Santa Rosa Junior College is $5,728 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Santa Rosa Junior College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

4
SWC Chula Vista crest
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southwestern College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Chula Vista, California, this fairly large public school awarded 208 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

SWC Chula Vista did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southwestern College is $4,197 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southwestern College

5
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Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Mt. San Antonio College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Mt. SAC is a large public school situated in Walnut, California. It awarded 112 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,412 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mt. SAC.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Mt. SAC

6
Fresno City College crest
Fresno City College
Fresno, California

With a ranking of #6, Fresno City College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno City College is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 162 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno City College, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno City College is $2,556 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Fresno City College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

7
Moreno Valley College crest
Moreno Valley College
Moreno Valley, California

Moreno Valley College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Moreno Valley College is located in Moreno Valley, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 215 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Moreno Valley College, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,761 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Moreno Valley College.

Full Moreno Valley College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

8
College of the Sequoias crest
College of the Sequoias
Visalia, California

College of the Sequoias came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. College of the Sequoias is a fairly large public school situated in Visalia, California. It awarded 199 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend College of the Sequoias is $501 for california criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at College of the Sequoias

9

California State University - Fullerton ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 365 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $4,590 for california criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cal State Fullerton Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

10
Ventura College crest
Ventura College
Ventura, California

Ventura College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ventura College is a fairly large school located in Ventura, California that handed out 206 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $321 for california criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ventura College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Ventura College

11

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 295 students in 2020-2021.

CSUDH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. It costs about $2,657 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUDH.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at CSUDH

12

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 193 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k list, Stan State has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $4,122 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at California State University - Stanislaus

13

California State University - Long Beach came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 321 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $6,663 for california criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 CSULB Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

14
Sacramento City crest
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, California

Sacramento City College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Sacramento, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 132 students in 2020-2021.

Sacramento City also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $5,022 for california criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sacramento City.

Full Sacramento City Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

15
SAC crest
Santa Ana College
Santa Ana, California

With a ranking of #15, Santa Ana College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Santa Ana College is located in Santa Ana, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 87 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

SAC also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Santa Ana College is $3,975 for california criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Santa Ana College

16

With a ranking of #16, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 266 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,985 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at CSUSB

17

With a ranking of #17, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 493 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $8,163 for california criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

18
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 392 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $7,169 for california criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at San Diego State University

19
San Diego Miramar College crest
San Diego Miramar College
San Diego, California

San Diego Miramar College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this fairly large public school awarded 123 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,199 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego Miramar College.

Full San Diego Miramar College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

20
Riverside City College crest
Riverside City College
Riverside, California

Riverside City College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Riverside City College is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 143 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,737 for california criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Riverside City College.

Full Riverside City College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

21

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 189 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $5,238 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full CSUB Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

22
East Los Angeles College crest
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park, California

East Los Angeles College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. East Los Angeles College is located in Monterey Park, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 738 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

East Los Angeles College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend East Los Angeles College is $10,646 for california criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at East Los Angeles College

23

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Hayward, California, this fairly large public school awarded 242 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

Cal State East Bay also took the #18 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $9,975 for california criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Cal State East Bay

24
Reedley College crest
Reedley College
Reedley, California

Reedley College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Reedley College is a public institution located in Reedley, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 90 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Reedley College is $4,843 for california criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Reedley College

25
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 237 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,158 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Jose State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at San Jose State

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