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2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid

44 Ranked Colleges
7,423 Degrees Awarded
$4,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid

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 an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Criminal Justice & Corrections is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 6th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 113,581 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 California, there were 16,534 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,495 and $19,443 respectively. At the associate degree level specifically, there were 7,423 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,451 and $19,634 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 44 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in California (With Aid)

#1

Golden West College

Huntington Beach, California

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Golden West College landed the #1 spot on the list. Golden West College is a fairly large school located in Huntington Beach, California that handed out 120 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Golden West College also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Golden West College is $2,862 for california associate degree criminal justice students with aid.

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

#2

Los Medanos College

Pittsburg, California
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Los Medanos College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid list. Pittsburg, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s criminal justice degrees to 67 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Los Medanos, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Los Medanos College is $5,162 for california associate degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Los Medanos

#3

Ventura College

Ventura, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ventura College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Ventura, California, and it awarded 156 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california associate degree criminal justice students with aid list, Ventura College has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,514 for california associate degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Ventura College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Ventura College

#3

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Santa Rosa Junior College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid list. Santa Rosa, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s criminal justice degrees to 70 students in 2019-2020.

SRJC also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for SRJC is $5,782 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

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

#5

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, California
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Santa Ana College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in Santa Ana, California, this large public school handed out 93 diplomas to qualified associates’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

SAC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Santa Ana College is $3,801 for california associate degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at SAC

#6

Butte College

Oroville, California
#3 in overall quality

Butte College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Oroville, California, and it awarded 132 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Butte College, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Butte College is $5,070 for california associate degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Butte College

#7

College of the Sequoias

Visalia, California

College of the Sequoias landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. College of the Sequoias is a public institution located in Visalia, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 106 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for College of the Sequoias is $1,116 for california associate degree criminal justice students with aid.

Full College of the Sequoias Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#8

Sacramento City College

Sacramento, California

Sacramento City College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 157 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Sacramento City not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sacramento City is $4,835 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Sacramento City College

#9

Fresno City College

Fresno, California

Fresno City College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s criminal justice degrees to 171 students in 2019-2020.

Fresno City College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Fresno City College is $2,622 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Fresno City College

#10

Cerritos College

Norwalk, California

Cerritos College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Norwalk, California, and it awarded 90 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california associate degree criminal justice students with aid list, Cerritos College has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,022 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Cerritos College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Cerritos College

#11

West Valley College

Saratoga, California

West Valley College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Saratoga, California, and it awarded 55 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california associate degree criminal justice students with aid list, West Valley College has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for West Valley College is $3,791 for california associate degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at West Valley College

#12

College of the Canyons

Santa Clarita, California

With a ranking of #12, College of the Canyons did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid list. Santa Clarita, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s criminal justice degrees to 87 students in 2019-2020.

College of the Canyons not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for College of the Canyons is $4,088 for california associate degree criminal justice students with aid.

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

#13

Rio Hondo College

Whittier, California

Rio Hondo College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Rio Hondo College is a fairly large public school situated in Whittier, California. It awarded 132 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

RHCCD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend RHCCD is $5,487 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Rio Hondo College

#14

Citrus College

Glendora, California

Citrus College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Citrus College is located in Glendora, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 173 associates’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Citrus College also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $2,751 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Citrus College.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Citrus College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#15

Moreno Valley College

Moreno Valley, California
#10 in overall quality

Moreno Valley College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Moreno Valley, California, and it awarded 45 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Moreno Valley College, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,633 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Moreno Valley College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Moreno Valley College

#16

Allan Hancock College

Santa Maria, California

Allan Hancock College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Allan Hancock College is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Maria, California. It awarded 82 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Allan Hancock College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Allan Hancock College is $3,810 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Allan Hancock College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#17

Gavilan College

Gilroy, California

With a ranking of #17, Gavilan College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Gilroy, California, and it awarded 37 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Gavilan College also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Gavilan College is $4,784 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Gavilan College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#18

Mt. San Antonio College

Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Walnut, California, and it awarded 86 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Mt. SAC is $1,729 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Mt. San Antonio College

#19

American River College

Sacramento, California

American River College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. American River is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 74 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california associate degree criminal justice students with aid list, American River has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend American River is $4,816 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at American River

#20

Coastline Community College

Fountain Valley, California
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Coastline Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid list. Coastline Community College is located in Fountain Valley, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 associates’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california associate degree criminal justice students with aid list, Coastline Community College has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,389 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Coastline Community College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Coastline Community College

#21

Antelope Valley College

Lancaster, California

Antelope Valley College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid list. Antelope Valley College is a fairly large public school situated in Lancaster, California. It awarded 170 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Antelope Valley College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Antelope Valley College is $4,775 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Antelope Valley College

#22

Victor Valley College

Victorville, California

Victor Valley College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Victor Valley College is located in Victorville, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 153 associates’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Victor Valley College also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Victor Valley College is $8,504 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Victor Valley College

#23

East Los Angeles College

Monterey Park, California

East Los Angeles College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Monterey Park, California, this large public school awarded 340 diplomas to qualified associates’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at East Los Angeles College, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for East Los Angeles College is $9,570 for California Associate Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full East Los Angeles College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#24

Palomar College

San Marcos, California

Palomar College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 55 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,673 for california associate degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Palomar College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Palomar College

#25

West Los Angeles College

Culver City, California

With a ranking of #25, West Los Angeles College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Culver City, California, this fairly large public school handed out 94 degrees to qualified associates’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

West LA College also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend West Los Angeles College is $7,084 for california associate degree criminal justice students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at West Los Angeles College

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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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