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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

60 Ranked Colleges
7,205 Degrees Awarded
$32,139 Avg Salary
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

Across the Southwest region, there were 16,347 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,942 and $25,383 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,205 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 60 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the criminal justice and corrections program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 425 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $6,405 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M International University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized school located in Laredo, Texas that handed out 190 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M International University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $3,809 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Texas A&M International University.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Texas A&M International University

Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at San Antonio landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 283 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UTSA also took the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,827 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at UTSA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas at Dallas. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This small school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT Dallas did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNT Dallas is $9,127 for southwest region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at UNT Dallas

#5

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas

Out of the 60 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Texas State is a large public school situated in San Marcos, Texas. It awarded 304 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State University is $14,250 for southwest region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Texas State University

The University of Texas at El Paso ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UTEP is a large school located in El Paso, Texas that handed out 283 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTEP, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UTEP is $10,786 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at The University of Texas at El Paso

#7

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. MSU Texas is a medium-sized school located in Wichita Falls, Texas that handed out 44 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Texas did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,068 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend MSU Texas.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at MSU Texas

With a ranking of #8, Texas Woman’s University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Texas Woman’s University is a fairly large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 34 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Texas Woman’s University is $9,629 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at TWU

University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Phoenix - Arizona is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 828 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UOPX - Arizona also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $14,939 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UOPX - Arizona.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at UOPX - Arizona

#10

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Huntsville, Texas, this large public school awarded 852 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

SHSU also took the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sam Houston State University is $14,832 for southwest region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Sam Houston State University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#11

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

With a ranking of #11, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school awarded 261 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

UNT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Texas is $15,377 for southwest region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of North Texas

The University of Texas at Tyler ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Tyler is a medium-sized school located in Tyler, Texas that handed out 42 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k list, UT Tyler has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Tyler is $10,037 for southwest region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at The University of Texas at Tyler

#13

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northeastern State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It awarded 105 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern State University is $11,683 for southwest region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full NSU Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Southeastern Oklahoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Durant, Oklahoma. It awarded 27 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $9,796 for southwest region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Southeastern Oklahoma State University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

University of Houston - Victoria ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Houston - Victoria is a small school located in Victoria, Texas that handed out 43 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UH Victoria is $9,996 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Houston - Victoria

New Mexico State University - Main Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, this fairly large public school awarded 152 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $10,235 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at NMSU Main Campus

The University of Texas at Arlington came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UT Arlington is located in Arlington, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 196 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

UT Arlington also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $14,622 for southwest region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Texas at Arlington.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at The University of Texas at Arlington

Stephen F Austin State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Nacogdoches, Texas, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,644 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stephen F Austin State University.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Stephen F Austin State University

#19

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Beaumont, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

Lamar University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lamar University is $14,818 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Lamar University

#20

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#25 in overall quality

University of Arizona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school awarded 163 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona also took the #25 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $15,399 for southwest region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Arizona

With a ranking of #21, University of Houston - Downtown did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UH Downtown is located in Houston, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 223 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

UH Downtown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston - Downtown is $8,675 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at UH Downtown

#21

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Scottsdale, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 211 students in 2019-2020.

ASU - Skysong also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Skysong is $15,891 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at ASU - Skysong

#22

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas

With a ranking of #22, Angelo State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Angelo State University is a fairly large school located in San Angelo, Texas that handed out 48 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Angelo State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $14,876 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Angelo State University.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Angelo State

#23

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma

East Central University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ada, Oklahoma is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for ECU is $13,316 for southwest region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full East Central University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#24

New Mexico Highlands University

Las Vegas, New Mexico

New Mexico Highlands University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. New Mexico Highlands University is located in Las Vegas, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend New Mexico Highlands University is $10,625 for southwest region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full New Mexico Highlands University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus is located in Portales, New Mexico and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend ENMU - Main Campus is $11,117 for southwest region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at ENMU - Main Campus

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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