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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

97 Ranked Colleges
6,361 Degrees Awarded
$13,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region 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 has developed its “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 Great Lakes region, there were 13,233 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,369 and $24,187 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 6,361 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 97 colleges that offer a degree 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the criminal justice and corrections program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The criminal justice school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Northwest. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Northwest is located in Gary, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend IU Northwest is $7,755 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Indiana University - Northwest

#2

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Franklin University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Franklin University is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Franklin University.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Franklin University

Out of the 97 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 195 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, UIC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for Great Lakes Region 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#4

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Out of the 97 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 117 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at IU Bloomington

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 50 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Full UW Oshkosh Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#6

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school handed out 63 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,077 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend GSU.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at GSU

University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kenosha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 76 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $11,327 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

#8

Oakland City University

Oakland City, Indiana

Oakland City University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Oakland City, Indiana, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, Oakland City has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland City University is $11,894 for Great Lakes Region 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 85%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Oakland City

#9

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Ferris is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 288 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, Ferris has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ferris is $12,889 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Ferris State University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a medium-sized school located in Platteville, Wisconsin that handed out 121 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville also took the #6 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,718 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#11

Union Institute & University

Cincinnati, Ohio

Union Institute & University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Union Institute & University is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 146 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Union did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,585 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Union Institute & University.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Union Institute & University

#12

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

With a ranking of #13, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 134 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $11,285 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at IUPUI

#14

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 113 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $15,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Ball State

#15

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana

Indiana University - East landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. IU East is a public institution located in Richmond, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - East is $7,722 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at IU East

#16

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #16, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 139 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, Michigan State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $19,173 for great lakes region 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 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan State Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#17

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 291 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, WIU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at WIU

#18

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. New Albany, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,657 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Southeast.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Indiana University - Southeast

#19

Indiana University - South Bend

South Bend, Indiana

With a ranking of #19, Indiana University - South Bend did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in South Bend, Indiana, this small public school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - South Bend is $8,717 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Indiana University - South Bend

#20

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Illinois at Springfield

#21

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full UWM Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

University of Michigan - Dearborn came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UM Dearborn is $11,473 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 University of Michigan - Dearborn

#23

Indiana University - Kokomo

Kokomo, Indiana

Indiana University - Kokomo landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University - Kokomo is a small school located in Kokomo, Indiana that handed out 25 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IU Kokomo is $9,796 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Indiana University - Kokomo Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 130 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,423 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend SIUE.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#25

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school handed out 165 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

GVSU also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at GVSU

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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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