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2022 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $30-$48k)

574 Ranked Colleges
30,064 Degrees Awarded
$3,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 113,581 criminal justice and corrections students received their degree, making the major the 6th most popular in the country. 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.

At the associate degree level specifically, there were 30,064 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,082 and $17,678 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 574 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Golden West College

Huntington Beach, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Golden West College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Golden West College is a fairly large public school situated in Huntington Beach, California. It awarded 120 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Golden West College, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,962 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Golden West College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Golden West College

#2

Nassau Community College

Garden City, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Nassau Community College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k. Garden City, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s criminal justice degrees to 183 students in 2019-2020.

Nassau Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Nassau Community College is $3,837 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Nassau Community College

#3

South Texas College

McAllen, Texas

Out of the 574 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, South Texas College landed the #3 spot on the list. McAllen, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s criminal justice degrees to 383 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, South Texas College is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for South Texas College is $1,390 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at South Texas College

Out of the 574 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Gateway Community College landed the #4 spot on the list. Eastern Gateway Community College is a large public school situated in Steubenville, Ohio. It awarded 371 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Eastern Gateway Community College also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Gateway Community College is $3,267 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Eastern Gateway Community College

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Suffolk County Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Selden, New York, and it awarded 227 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Suffolk County Community College also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Suffolk County Community College is $4,371 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Suffolk County Community College

#6

Moraine Valley Community College

Palos Hills, Illinois

Moraine Valley Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Palos Hills, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 51 degrees to qualified associates’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, MVCC is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for MVCC is $1,513 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Moraine Valley Community College

#7

Orange County Community College

Middletown, New York

Orange County Community College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SUNY Orange is a medium-sized school located in Middletown, New York that handed out 73 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY Orange not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $3,358 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Orange County Community College.

Full SUNY Orange Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#8

Bronx Community College

Bronx, New York

With a ranking of #8, Bronx Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bronx Community College is located in Bronx, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 202 associates’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

BCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,096 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend BCC.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at BCC

#9

Ventura College

Ventura, California

Ventura College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Ventura, California, and it awarded 156 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $978 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ventura College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Ventura College

#10

Middlesex Community College

Bedford, Massachusetts

Middlesex Community College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bedford, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s criminal justice degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, Middlesex Community College is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Middlesex Community College is $4,140 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Middlesex Community College

#11

Queensborough Community College

Bayside, New York

Queensborough Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Queensborough Community College is a public institution located in Bayside, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 244 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at QCC, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,133 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Queensborough Community College.

Full QCC Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#12

Oakland Community College

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Oakland Community College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Oakland Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. It awarded 40 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Oakland Community College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland Community College is $1,614 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Oakland Community College

Borough of Manhattan Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k list. BMCC is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 553 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BMCC, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,871 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Borough of Manhattan Community College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at BMCC

#14

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa, California

Santa Rosa Junior College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Santa Rosa Junior College is a public institution located in Santa Rosa, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 70 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SRJC, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,975 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Santa Rosa Junior College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Santa Rosa Junior College

#15

Erie Community College

Buffalo, New York

Erie Community College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Erie Community College is located in Buffalo, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 116 associates’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Erie Community College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Erie Community College is $4,973 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Erie Community College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#16

Raritan Valley Community College

Branchburg, New Jersey

Raritan Valley Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Raritan Valley Community College is located in Branchburg, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 associates’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, RVCC also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Raritan Valley Community College is $5,657 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full RVCC Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#17

Kingsborough Community College

Brooklyn, New York

Kingsborough Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Kingsborough Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 207 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

KCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kingsborough Community College is $5,569 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full KCC Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#18

Butte College

Oroville, California
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Butte College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Oroville, California, and it awarded 132 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Butte College also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Butte College is $4,971 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Butte College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Metropolitan Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Omaha, Nebraska, this fairly large public school handed out 56 degrees to qualified associates’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, MCC is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $2,963 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Metropolitan Community College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Metropolitan Community College

#20

Los Medanos College

Pittsburg, California
#18 in overall quality

Los Medanos College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Pittsburg, California, and it awarded 67 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Los Medanos did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Los Medanos is $5,277 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Los Medanos

#21

St Petersburg College

Clearwater, Florida

St Petersburg College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. Clearwater, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s criminal justice degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for St Petersburg College is $3,182 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SPC Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#22

Cerritos College

Norwalk, California

Cerritos College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cerritos College is a large public school situated in Norwalk, California. It awarded 90 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,988 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cerritos College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Cerritos College

#23

Salt Lake Community College

Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake Community College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 111 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Salt Lake Community College excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $6,329 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Salt Lake Community College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Salt Lake Community College

#24

South Georgia Technical College

Americus, Georgia

With a ranking of #24, South Georgia Technical College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k list. South Georgia Technical College is located in Americus, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 associates’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $-130 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend South Georgia Technical College. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

Full South Georgia Technical College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#25

West Valley College

Saratoga, California

West Valley College landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. West Valley College is located in Saratoga, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 55 associates’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, West Valley College is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $3,789 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend West Valley College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at West Valley College

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

LaGuardia Community College

Long Island City, New York
#28

Union County College

Cranford, New Jersey
#29

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, California
#30

Rockland Community College

Suffern, New York
#30

College of the Sequoias

Visalia, California
#32

Elgin Community College

Elgin, Illinois
#33

El Paso Community College

El Paso, Texas
#34

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, Florida
#35

Camden County College

Blackwood, New Jersey
#37

Sacramento City College

Sacramento, California
#38

Fresno City College

Fresno, California
#39

Henry Ford College

Dearborn, Michigan
#40

Amarillo College

Amarillo, Texas
#41

College of Southern Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada
#42

College of the Canyons

Santa Clarita, California
#43

County College of Morris

Randolph, New Jersey
#44

Blue Ridge Community and Technical College

Martinsburg, West Virginia
#45

Waukesha County Technical College

Pewaukee, Wisconsin
#46

Valencia College

Orlando, Florida
#48

North Central State College

Mansfield, Ohio
#49

Quinsigamond Community College

Worcester, Massachusetts
#50

Albany Technical College

Albany, Georgia

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $30-$48k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Schoolcraft College Livonia, MI
52 Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI
53 Moreno Valley College Moreno Valley, CA
54 Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH
55 North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park, MN
56 Redlands Community College El Reno, OK
57 Rio Hondo College Whittier, CA
58 Allan Hancock College Santa Maria, CA
59 Citrus College Glendora, CA
60 South Plains College Levelland, TX
61 Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rome, GA
62 Niagara County Community College Sanborn, NY
63 Grayson College Denison, TX
64 Hudson Valley Community College Troy, NY
65 West Shore Community College Scottville, MI
Rank College Location
66 William Rainey Harper College Palatine, IL
67 Hostos Community College Bronx, NY
68 Rowan College at Burlington County Mount Laurel, NJ
68 Southeast Community College Area Lincoln, NE
70 Mt. San Antonio College Walnut, CA
71 Collin County Community College District McKinney, TX
72 Century College White Bear Lake, MN
73 Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN
74 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX
75 Gateway Technical College Kenosha, WI
76 Ogeechee Technical College Statesboro, GA
77 Pima Community College Tucson, AZ
78 Massachusetts Bay Community College Wellesley Hills, MA
79 John Tyler Community College Chester, VA
80 South Suburban College South Holland, IL
81 Lakeshore Technical College Cleveland, WI
82 Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX
83 Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, MI
84 Northern Essex Community College Haverhill, MA
85 Vance-Granville Community College Henderson, NC
86 Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX
87 Lehigh Carbon Community College Schnecksville, PA

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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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