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

231 Ranked Colleges
30,364 Degrees Awarded
$4,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 the Southeast region, there were 30,364 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,051 and $28,418 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 231 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminal justice and corrections. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent criminal justice and corrections programs, but they also 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Georgia Technical College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Americus, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 190 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at South Georgia Technical College, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for South Georgia Technical College is $340 for southeast region criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at South Georgia Technical College

2
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Out of the 231 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 646 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $4,950 for southeast region criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Florida State

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hillsborough Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. HCC is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 368 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

HCC also took the #9 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Hillsborough Community College is $2,919 for Southeast Region Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Hillsborough Community College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

4

Out of the 231 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Central Florida landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Central Florida is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 646 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $4,468 for Southeast Region Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 UCF Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

5
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

Out of the 231 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indian River State College landed the #5 spot on the list. Indian River State College is a fairly large public school situated in Fort Pierce, Florida. It awarded 184 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Indian River State College is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Indian River State College is $2,686 for southeast region criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Indian River State College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

6

Florida International University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. FIU is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 643 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $3,196 for southeast region 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 91%. 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 more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Florida International University

7
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Charles Town, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 912 students in 2020-2021.

American Military University also took the #1 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,660 for Southeast Region Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend American Public University System.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at American Military University

8
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida

Valencia College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Valencia College is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 373 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Valencia College, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Valencia College is $4,942 for southeast region criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Valencia College

9
Palm Beach State College crest
Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, Florida

Palm Beach State College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Palm Beach State College is a public institution located in Lake Worth, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 129 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,452 for southeast region criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Palm Beach State College.

Full Palm Beach State College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

10

With a ranking of #10, Georgia Northwestern Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Georgia Northwestern Technical College is a public institution located in Rome, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 82 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $306 for southeast region criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgia Northwestern Technical College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Georgia Northwestern Technical College

11

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Valdosta, Georgia, this small public school awarded 68 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Wiregrass Georgia Technical College is $1,613 for Southeast Region Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College

12
CGTC crest
Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins, Georgia

Central Georgia Technical College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CGTC is a medium-sized school located in Warner Robins, Georgia that handed out 175 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Central Georgia Technical College is $1,458 for southeast region criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at CGTC

13

Florida State College at Jacksonville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this large public school awarded 416 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,144 for southeast region criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at FSCJ

14
SPC crest
St Petersburg College
Clearwater, Florida

St Petersburg College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Clearwater, Florida, and it awarded 145 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for St Petersburg College is $676 for southeast region criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full St Petersburg College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

15

Albany Technical College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Albany Technical College is a small public school situated in Albany, Georgia. It awarded 146 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $84 for Southeast Region Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Albany Technical College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Albany Technical College

16
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. University of Georgia is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 85 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $8,303 for Southeast Region Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 UGA

17
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida Atlantic University is a large public school situated in Boca Raton, Florida. It awarded 335 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

FAU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend FAU is $6,726 for southeast region 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 more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at FAU

18
MDC crest
Miami Dade College
Miami, Florida

With a ranking of #18, Miami Dade College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. MDC is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 289 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, MDC is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Miami Dade College is $4,482 for Southeast Region Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Miami Dade College

19

Citadel Military College of South Carolina did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a small school located in Charleston, South Carolina that handed out 67 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The Citadel also took the #15 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina is $7,451 for Southeast Region Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Citadel Military College of South Carolina

20

Northern Virginia Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Annandale, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 220 students in 2020-2021.

Northern Virginia Community College also took the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,515 for Southeast Region Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Virginia Community College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Northern Virginia Community College

21
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. University of North Florida is a public institution located in Jacksonville, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 220 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNF is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $4,367 for southeast region criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNF.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 UNF

22

The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. This fairly large school is located in Pensacola, Florida, and it awarded 85 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

UWF excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend The University of West Florida is $4,288 for Southeast Region Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at The University of West Florida

23
Forsyth Tech crest
Forsyth Technical Community College
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Forsyth Technical Community College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 78 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Forsyth Technical Community College is $4,731 for southeast region criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Forsyth Tech

24

With a ranking of #24, Savannah Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Savannah Technical College is a small school located in Savannah, Georgia that handed out 92 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Savannah Tech is $4,401 for Southeast Region Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Savannah Tech

25
North Georgia Technical College crest
North Georgia Technical College
Clarkesville, Georgia

North Georgia Technical College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Clarkesville, Georgia, this small public school awarded 53 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,707 for southeast region criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Georgia Technical College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at North Georgia Technical College

Rest of the Best 35 in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 35 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky
27
FGC crest
Florida Gateway College
Lake City, Florida
28
FTCC crest
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Fayetteville, North Carolina
29
Fayetteville State University crest
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, North Carolina
30
31
Pitt Community College crest
Pitt Community College
Winterville, North Carolina
32
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina
33
34
35

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