2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2019-2020, 113,581 criminal justice and corrections students received their degree, making the major the 6th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, criminal justice and corrections graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,952 and had an average of $24,936 in loans still to pay off.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 51,953 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 671 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminal justice and corrections. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent criminal justice and corrections programs, but they also cost less that 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.
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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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,582 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
John Jay also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $2,532 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Full John Jay College of Criminal Justice Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school awarded 425 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UT Rio Grande Valley is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $4,514 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
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 more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at UT Rio Grande Valley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A & M University - Central Texas. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Killeen, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Texas A & M University - Central Texas is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Texas A & M University - Central Texas
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 307 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Cal State LA is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $2,768 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Cal State LA.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at California State University - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Public University System. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Charles Town, West Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 542 students in 2019-2020.
American Military University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend American Military University is $10,222 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at American Public University System
With a ranking of #6, Texas A&M International University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Laredo, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 190 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M International University is $3,074 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Texas A&M International University
California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 203 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $4,215 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Florida International University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. FIU is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 600 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, FIU is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Florida International University is $7,296 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State University - Fullerton landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 334 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Cal State Fullerton also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $7,991 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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 89%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at California State University - Fullerton
California State University - Stanislaus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 223 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,019 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Stan State
Indian River State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Indian River State College is a fairly large public school situated in Fort Pierce, Florida. It awarded 71 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Indian River State College is $2,003 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
Full Indian River State College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
University of North Texas at Dallas came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UNT Dallas is located in Dallas, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UNT Dallas is $8,488 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
Elizabeth City State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Elizabeth City State University is $2,350 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 294 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $7,342 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Central Florida came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCF is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 483 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UCF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $10,274 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Florida State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 537 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Florida State also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $9,789 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
The University of West Florida came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Pensacola, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 81 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,406 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend The University of West Florida.
Indiana University - Northwest ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. IU Northwest is a public institution located in Gary, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend IU Northwest is $7,755 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Indiana University - Northwest
University of Phoenix - Arizona ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UOPX - Arizona is a large private for-profit school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 828 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UOPX - Arizona is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,944 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend UOPX - Arizona.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at UOPX - Arizona
California State University - Sacramento landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 494 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Sac State is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Sac State
Franklin University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Franklin University is $12,895 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
Full Franklin University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 195 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UIC is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #22, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Boone, North Carolina, and it awarded 127 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Appalachian State also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $13,920 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, 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 86%.
Full Appalachian State University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 117 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $13,253 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Indiana University - Bloomington
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 50 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
UW Oshkosh also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. It costs about $15,463 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.
Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s 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:
Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Monroe College | Bronx, NY |
| 52 | Sam Houston State University | Huntsville, TX |
| 53 | Colorado State University - Global Campus | Greenwood Village, CO |
| 54 | Polk State College | Winter Haven, FL |
| 55 | Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN |
| 56 | Minnesota State University - Mankato | Mankato, MN |
| 57 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | Omaha, NE |
| 58 | University of Minnesota - Crookston | Crookston, MN |
| 59 | Northeastern State University | Tahlequah, OK |
| 60 | MSU Texas | Wichita Falls, TX |
| 61 | Southeastern Oklahoma State University | Durant, OK |
| 62 | University of Wyoming | Laramie, WY |
| 63 | Texas Woman’s University | Denton, TX |
| 64 | University of Maryland Global Campus | Adelphi, MD |
| 65 | Northern Kentucky University | Highland Heights, KY |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | University of Puerto Rico - Carolina | Carolina, PR |
| 92 | Augusta University | Augusta, GA |
| 93 | Winona State University | Winona, MN |
| 94 | University of Illinois at Springfield | Springfield, IL |
| 95 | Southeastern Louisiana University | Hammond, LA |
| 96 | Marshall University | Huntington, WV |
| 97 | University of Houston - Victoria | Victoria, TX |
| 98 | Louisiana State University - Shreveport | Shreveport, LA |
| 99 | Western Carolina University | Cullowhee, NC |
| 100 | University of Louisiana at Monroe | Monroe, LA |
| 101 | Peirce College | Philadelphia, PA |
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Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor's Degree Schools
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Criminal Justice & Corrections students with family income $48-$75k
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Criminal Justice & Corrections students with family income exceeding $110k
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Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections
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Criminal Justice & Corrections students with family income $30-$48k
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $75-$110k)
Criminal Justice & Corrections students with family income $75-$110k
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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