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2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid

861 Ranked Colleges
113,121 Degrees Awarded
$4,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Criminal Justice & Corrections is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 7th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 113,121 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, criminal justice and corrections graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,465 and had an average of $25,425 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 861 colleges that offer 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (With Aid)

1

Out of the 861 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #1 spot on the list. John Jay is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,933 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our criminal justice students with aid list, John Jay has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend John Jay is $2,699 for criminal justice students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Georgia Technical College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Americus, Georgia, and it awarded 190 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

South Georgia Technical College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $763 for Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend South Georgia Technical College.

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

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 For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 368 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice 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. The estimated yearly cost for HCC is $2,949 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Hillsborough Community College

4

Out of the 861 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid 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 school located in Steubenville, Ohio that handed out 572 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Eastern Gateway Community College 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. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Gateway Community College is $2,543 for criminal justice students with aid.

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

5
Golden West College crest
Golden West College
Huntington Beach, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Golden West College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Golden West College is a public institution located in Huntington Beach, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 170 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Golden West College also took the #19 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Golden West College is $4,024 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Golden West College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

6
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

Indian River State College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fort Pierce, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 184 students 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 $3,786 for criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Indian River State College.

Full Indian River State College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

7
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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Located in McAllen, Texas, this large public school handed out 358 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,504 for Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend South Texas College.

Full South Texas College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

8

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school awarded 544 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

UT Rio Grande Valley excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $3,743 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at UT Rio Grande Valley

9
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida

Valencia College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Orlando, Florida, this large public school handed out 373 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Valencia College 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. The estimated yearly cost for Valencia College is $5,354 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Valencia College

10
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. American Military University is a private for-profit institution located in Charles Town, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 912 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

American Military University also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $10,563 for criminal justice students with aid per year to attend American Military University.

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 Public University System

11
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

With a ranking of #11, El Centro College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 324 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, El Centro College 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 El Centro College is $4,739 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at El Centro College

12
Gateway Technical College crest
Gateway Technical College
Kenosha, Wisconsin

Gateway Technical College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Gateway Technical College is a medium-sized public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 162 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Gateway Technical College is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Gateway Technical College is $8,487 for criminal justice students with aid.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Gateway Technical College

13

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 330 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Cal State LA excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $3,302 for criminal justice students with aid.

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

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Cal State LA

14

College of Southern Nevada landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Las Vegas, Nevada is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 221 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, CSN is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for CSN is $7,019 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at College of Southern Nevada

15
Oakland Community College crest
Oakland Community College
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Oakland Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. This fairly large school is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 124 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland Community College is $3,665 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

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

16
SWC Chula Vista crest
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, California

With a ranking of #16, Southwestern College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid 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.

SWC Chula Vista 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 SWC Chula Vista is $4,877 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full SWC Chula Vista Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

17
Fresno City College crest
Fresno City College
Fresno, California

Fresno City College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Fresno City College is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 162 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Fresno City College 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 $2,584 for criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Fresno City College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Fresno City College

18
Palm Beach State College crest
Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, Florida

Palm Beach State College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. 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 $9,481 for Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Palm Beach State College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Palm Beach State College

19
Erie Community College crest
Erie Community College
Buffalo, New York

Erie Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Erie Community College is a public institution located in Buffalo, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 159 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Erie Community 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. The yearly cost to attend Erie Community College is $4,575 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Erie Community College

20

With a ranking of #20, Florida State College at Jacksonville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Florida State College at Jacksonville is located in Jacksonville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 416 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,129 for criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Full FSCJ Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

21
Middlesex County College crest
Middlesex County College
Edison, New Jersey

Middlesex County College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Edison, New Jersey, and it awarded 103 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Middlesex County College excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Middlesex County College is $9,950 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Middlesex County College

22
CGTC crest
Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins, Georgia

Central Georgia Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. This medium-sized school is located in Warner Robins, Georgia, and it awarded 175 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Central Georgia Technical College is $2,404 for criminal justice students with aid.

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

23

Albany Technical College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Albany Technical College is located in Albany, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 146 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Albany Technical College is $663 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Albany Technical College

24
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ivy Tech Community College is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 581 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Ivy Tech Community College 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 Ivy Tech Community College is $7,669 for criminal justice students with aid.

Full Ivy Tech Community College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

25
College of the Sequoias crest
College of the Sequoias
Visalia, California

College of the Sequoias ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Visalia, California, and it awarded 199 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend College of the Sequoias is $1,222 for criminal justice students with aid.

Full College of the Sequoias Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid

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

26
27
Moreno Valley College crest
Moreno Valley College
Moreno Valley, California
28
SRJC crest
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California
29
30
31
32
MDC crest
Miami Dade College
Miami, Florida
33
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
34
35
36
37
SPC crest
St Petersburg College
Clearwater, Florida
37
Nassau Community College crest
Nassau Community College
Garden City, New York
39
40
41
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California
42
43
44
45
Camden County College crest
Camden County College
Blackwood, New Jersey
46
47
LCC crest
Lansing Community College
Lansing, Michigan
48
49
Forsyth Tech crest
Forsyth Technical Community College
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
50
Washtenaw Community College crest
Washtenaw Community College
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid

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

RankCollegeLocation
51College of Southern IdahoTwin Falls, ID
52Lewis and Clark Community CollegeGodfrey, IL
53Chemeketa Community CollegeSalem, OR
54El Paso Community CollegeEl Paso, TX
55Raritan Valley Community CollegeBranchburg, NJ
56Savannah Technical CollegeSavannah, GA
57Henry Ford CollegeDearborn, MI
58Monroe Community CollegeRochester, NY
59Grand Rapids Community CollegeGrand Rapids, MI
60Macomb Community CollegeWarren, MI
61Amarillo CollegeAmarillo, TX
62Queensborough Community CollegeBayside, NY
63University of Houston - DowntownHouston, TX
64California State University - FullertonFullerton, CA
65Sacramento City CollegeSacramento, CA
RankCollegeLocation
66Century CollegeWhite Bear Lake, MN
67Ventura CollegeVentura, CA
68California State University - Long BeachLong Beach, CA
69California State University - StanislausTurlock, CA
70Fayetteville Technical Community CollegeFayetteville, NC
71California State University - San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
72Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsville, TX
73Madison Area Technical CollegeMadison, WI
74Santa Ana CollegeSanta Ana, CA
75Suffolk County Community CollegeSelden, NY
76Eastern Florida State CollegeCocoa, FL
77College of Western IdahoNampa, ID
77Hostos Community CollegeBronx, NY
79Cuyahoga Community College DistrictCleveland, OH
80North Georgia Technical CollegeClarkesville, GA
81Seminole State College of FloridaSanford, FL
82Indiana University - Purdue University - IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN
83Western Technical CollegeLa Crosse, WI
84Central Piedmont Community CollegeCharlotte, NC
85The University of Texas at BrownsvilleBrownsville, TX
86College of the MainlandTexas City, TX
87Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL
88California State University - SacramentoSacramento, CA
89Fayetteville State UniversityFayetteville, NC
90Indiana University - BloomingtonBloomington, IN
RankCollegeLocation
91Borough of Manhattan Community CollegeNew York, NY
92The University of Texas at El PasoEl Paso, TX
92The University of West FloridaPensacola, FL
94Bronx Community CollegeBronx, NY
95Mid-State Technical CollegeWisconsin Rapids, WI
96University of Illinois at ChicagoChicago, IL
97Kingsborough Community CollegeBrooklyn, NY
98Riverside City CollegeRiverside, CA
99San Diego Miramar CollegeSan Diego, CA
100Housatonic Community CollegeBridgeport, CT
101Community College of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia, PA
102Rio Salado CollegeTempe, AZ
103Southwestern Illinois CollegeBelleville, IL
104Texas State UniversitySan Marcos, TX
105New Mexico State University - Dona AnaLas Cruces, NM
106Pima Community CollegeTucson, AZ
107Southern Crescent Technical CollegeGriffin, GA
108Utah Valley UniversityOrem, UT
109University of Nevada - Las VegasLas Vegas, NV
110East Los Angeles CollegeMonterey Park, CA
111South Plains CollegeLevelland, TX
112Fox Valley Technical CollegeAppleton, WI
113Hudson Valley Community CollegeTroy, NY
114Stark State CollegeNorth Canton, OH
115Rutgers University - NewarkNewark, NJ
RankCollegeLocation
116California State University - BakersfieldBakersfield, CA
117Southwest Wisconsin Technical CollegeFennimore, WI
118Union County CollegeCranford, NJ
119San Antonio CollegeSan Antonio, TX
120Tarrant County College DistrictFort Worth, TX
121Salt Lake Community CollegeSalt Lake City, UT
122University of Nebraska at OmahaOmaha, NE
123Arizona State University - SkysongScottsdale, AZ
124University of North FloridaJacksonville, FL
125Minnesota State University - MankatoMankato, MN
126Community College of Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD
127Elizabeth City State UniversityElizabeth City, NC
128Fond du Lac Tribal and Community CollegeCloquet, MN
129Middlesex Community CollegeBedford, MA
130Blackhawk Technical CollegeJanesville, WI

Notes and References

References

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