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2023 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $48-$75k)

829 Ranked Colleges
113,121 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

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 Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 113,121 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, criminal justice and corrections is the 7th most popular major in the United States. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 829 colleges that offer a degree in criminal justice and corrections. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality criminal justice and corrections programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Criminal Justice Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Those Making $48-$75k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $48-$75k)

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 829 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 23 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k list, UChicago has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,375 for criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UChicago.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Full UChicago Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

2

Out of the 829 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Gateway Community College landed the #2 spot on the list. Eastern Gateway Community College is a public institution located in Steubenville, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 572 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Eastern Gateway Community College is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It costs about $3,241 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Eastern Gateway Community College.

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

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Georgia Technical College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. South Georgia Technical College is located in Americus, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 190 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, South Georgia Technical College is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $4,125 for criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend South Georgia Technical College.

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

4
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend American Public University System. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. American Military University is a large school located in Charles Town, West Virginia that handed out 912 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

American Military University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend American Military University is $13,536 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at American Public University System

5
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 #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Huntington Beach, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 170 students in 2020-2021.

Golden West College also took the #19 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,739 for criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Golden West College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Golden West College

6

John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. John Jay is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,933 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at John Jay, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for John Jay is $7,811 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at John Jay

7
COM crest
College of the Mainland
Texas City, Texas

College of the Mainland ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. College of the Mainland is a public institution located in Texas City, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 95 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $-486 for criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend College of the Mainland. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at College of the Mainland

8
South Texas College crest
South Texas College
McAllen, Texas

South Texas College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in McAllen, Texas, and it awarded 358 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,531 for criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend South Texas College.

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

9
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

Indian River State College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Fort Pierce, Florida, and it awarded 184 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Indian River State College also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,511 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Indian River State College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Indian River State College

10

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 544 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

UT Rio Grande Valley also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $5,452 for criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at UT Rio Grande Valley

11

College of Southern Nevada did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. College of Southern Nevada is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 221 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, CSN also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It costs about $8,727 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSN.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at CSN

12
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 646 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $11,506 for criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. 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

13
Fresno City College crest
Fresno City College
Fresno, California

Fresno City College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Fresno City College is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 162 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Fresno City College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno City College is $6,065 for criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Fresno City College

14
SRJC crest
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California

Santa Rosa Junior College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Santa Rosa, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 173 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, SRJC also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It costs about $8,738 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SRJC.

Full Santa Rosa Junior College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

15
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

El Centro College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Dallas, Texas, this large public school awarded 324 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, El Centro College also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend El Centro College is $6,881 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full El Centro College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

16

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 330 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Cal State LA is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $5,700 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

17

With a ranking of #17, Texas A&M International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized public school situated in Laredo, Texas. It awarded 224 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M International University is $4,262 for criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Texas A&M International University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

18
SWC Chula Vista crest
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, California

Southwestern College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chula Vista, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 208 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, SWC Chula Vista is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Southwestern College is $7,800 for criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Southwestern College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

19
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida

Valencia College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Valencia College is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 373 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Valencia College excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Valencia College is $7,781 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Valencia College

20
College of the Sequoias crest
College of the Sequoias
Visalia, California

With a ranking of #20, College of the Sequoias did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Visalia, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 199 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend College of the Sequoias is $3,386 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at College of the Sequoias

21
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Walnut, California, this large public school handed out 112 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,768 for criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Mt. SAC.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Mt. San Antonio College

22

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wiregrass Georgia Technical College is located in Valdosta, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,976 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.

Full Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

23
CGTC crest
Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins, Georgia

Central Georgia Technical College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Warner Robins, Georgia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 175 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,272 for criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Central Georgia Technical College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at CGTC

24

With a ranking of #24, Hillsborough Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 368 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, HCC is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,345 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend HCC.

Full Hillsborough Community College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

25

University of Central Florida ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 646 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

UCF also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $9,426 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Central Florida.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, 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 92%.

Full University of Central Florida Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

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

26
Palm Beach State College crest
Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, Florida
27
Gateway Technical College crest
Gateway Technical College
Kenosha, Wisconsin
28
Ventura College crest
Ventura College
Ventura, California
29
30
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Miami Dade College
Miami, Florida
31
32
Middlesex County College crest
Middlesex County College
Edison, New Jersey
33
34
Forsyth Tech crest
Forsyth Technical Community College
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
35
Oakland Community College crest
Oakland Community College
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
36
College of Southern Idaho crest
College of Southern Idaho
Twin Falls, Idaho
37
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, Indiana
38
39
40
Sacramento City crest
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, California
41
Amarillo College crest
Amarillo College
Amarillo, Texas
42
Erie Community College crest
Erie Community College
Buffalo, New York
43
44
45
46
47
48
LCC crest
Lansing Community College
Lansing, Michigan
49
Camden County College crest
Camden County College
Blackwood, New Jersey
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

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

RankCollegeLocation
51Century CollegeWhite Bear Lake, MN
52McLennan Community CollegeWaco, TX
53University of Phoenix - ArizonaTempe, AZ
54California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
55Housatonic Community CollegeBridgeport, CT
56Raritan Valley Community CollegeBranchburg, NJ
57The University of West FloridaPensacola, FL
58Moraine Valley Community CollegePalos Hills, IL
59North Georgia Technical CollegeClarkesville, GA
60Central Piedmont Community CollegeCharlotte, NC
61California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
62University of Houston - DowntownHouston, TX
63St Petersburg CollegeClearwater, FL
64California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
65San Diego Miramar CollegeSan Diego, CA
RankCollegeLocation
66Washtenaw Community CollegeAnn Arbor, MI
67Nassau Community CollegeGarden City, NY
68Post UniversityWaterbury, CT
69Albany Technical CollegeAlbany, GA
70El Paso Community CollegeEl Paso, TX
71Henry Ford CollegeDearborn, MI
72Grand Rapids Community CollegeGrand Rapids, MI
73Chemeketa Community CollegeSalem, OR
74College of Western IdahoNampa, ID
75Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI
76Lewis and Clark Community CollegeGodfrey, IL
77Madison Area Technical CollegeMadison, WI
78Queensborough Community CollegeBayside, NY
79Middlesex Community CollegeBedford, MA
80Rio Salado CollegeTempe, AZ
81University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
82Reedley CollegeReedley, CA
82Austin Community College DistrictAustin, TX
84California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
85Suffolk County Community CollegeSelden, NY
86Stark State CollegeNorth Canton, OH
87Monroe Community CollegeRochester, NY
88University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL
89Fayetteville Technical Community CollegeFayetteville, NC
90Cuyahoga Community College DistrictCleveland, OH
RankCollegeLocation
91Tarrant County College DistrictFort Worth, TX
92Eastern Florida State CollegeCocoa, FL
93Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsville, TX
94Elizabeth City State UniversityElizabeth City, NC
95Fayetteville State UniversityFayetteville, NC
96Missouri Southern State UniversityJoplin, MO
97Walters State Community CollegeMorristown, TN
98Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
99Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT
99Middlesex Community CollegeMiddletown, CT
101Minnesota State University - MankatoMankato, MN
102New Mexico State University - Dona AnaLas Cruces, NM
103Southwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeFennimore, WI
104East Los Angeles CollegeMonterey Park, CA
105Western Technical CollegeLa Crosse, WI
105Manchester Community CollegeManchester, CT
107University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
108Southwestern Illinois CollegeBelleville, IL
109Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
110Pima Community CollegeTucson, AZ
111Midlands Technical CollegeWest Columbia, SC
112Salt Lake Community CollegeSalt Lake City, UT
113Seminole State College of FloridaSanford, FL
114California State University - BakersfieldBakersfield, CA
115Quinsigamond Community CollegeWorcester, MA
RankCollegeLocation
116Mount Wachusett Community CollegeGardner, MA
117Kingsborough Community CollegeBrooklyn, NY
118Indiana University - Purdue University - IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN
119The University of Texas at BrownsvilleBrownsville, TX
120Southern Crescent Technical CollegeGriffin, GA
121Nash Community CollegeRocky Mount, NC
122The University of Texas at El PasoEl Paso, TX
123Bristol Community CollegeFall River, MA
124South Plains CollegeLevelland, TX
125Metropolitan Community CollegeOmaha, NE

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

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