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2022 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in Illinois (With Aid)

40 Ranked Colleges
2,972 Degrees Awarded
$9,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois 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 in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 113,581 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, criminal justice and corrections is the 6th most popular major in the United States. 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 Illinois, there were 2,972 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,492 and $25,635 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 40 colleges that offered 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

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

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

#1

Moraine Valley Community College

Palos Hills, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Moraine Valley Community College. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Moraine Valley Community College is a public institution located in Palos Hills, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

MVCC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $2,422 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend MVCC.

Full Moraine Valley Community College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#2

Elgin Community College

Elgin, Illinois

Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Elgin Community College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Elgin, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

ECC also took the #21 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $4,185 for illinois criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Elgin Community College.

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

#3

South Suburban College

South Holland, Illinois

Out of the 40 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, South Suburban College landed the #3 spot on the list. SSC is a public institution located in South Holland, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SSC also took the #25 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Suburban College is $4,746 for illinois criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at SSC

#4

William Rainey Harper College

Palatine, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William Rainey Harper College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Harper College is a fairly large school located in Palatine, Illinois that handed out 40 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harper College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William Rainey Harper College is $7,532 for illinois criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at William Rainey Harper College

#5

College of Lake County

Grayslake, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend College of Lake County. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. College of Lake County is a fairly large public school situated in Grayslake, Illinois. It awarded 36 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,735 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend College of Lake County.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at College of Lake County

#6

Morton College

Cicero, Illinois

Morton College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This small school is located in Cicero, Illinois, and it awarded 32 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Morton College is $4,236 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Morton College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Lewis and Clark Community College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lewis and Clark Community College is a public institution located in Godfrey, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lewis and Clark Community College is $5,464 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Lewis and Clark Community College

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 207 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for illinois criminal justice students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 University of Illinois at Chicago Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#9

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. GSU is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 69 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois criminal justice students with aid list, GSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GSU is $12,077 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full GSU Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#10

Triton College

River Grove, Illinois

Triton College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Triton College is a medium-sized school located in River Grove, Illinois that handed out 18 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Triton College is $4,988 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Triton College

#11

Kankakee Community College

Kankakee, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Kankakee Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Kankakee Community College is a public institution located in Kankakee, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,436 for illinois criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Kankakee Community College.

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

#12

Southwestern Illinois College

Belleville, Illinois

Southwestern Illinois College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Southwestern Illinois College is a medium-sized public school situated in Belleville, Illinois. It awarded 132 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southwestern Illinois College is $7,098 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full SWIC Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#13

Lincoln Land Community College

Springfield, Illinois

Lincoln Land Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. LLCC is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Lincoln Land Community College is $6,168 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Lincoln Land Community College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#14

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 344 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,210 for illinois criminal justice students with aid per year to attend WIU.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Western Illinois University

#15

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

With a ranking of #15, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $12,477 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at UIS

#16

McHenry County College

Crystal Lake, Illinois

McHenry County College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Crystal Lake, Illinois, and it awarded 13 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for McHenry County College is $7,048 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full McHenry County College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#17

Oakton Community College

Des Plaines, Illinois

Oakton Community College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Oakton Community College is located in Des Plaines, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,141 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Oakton Community College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Oakton Community College

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 134 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois criminal justice students with aid list, SIUE has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,423 for illinois criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at SIUE

#19

Kaskaskia College

Centralia, Illinois

Kaskaskia College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Kaskaskia College is a small public school situated in Centralia, Illinois. It awarded 35 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Kaskaskia College is $6,574 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Kaskaskia College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#20

Parkland College

Champaign, Illinois

Parkland College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Parkland College is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Parkland College is $8,993 for illinois criminal justice students with aid.

Full Parkland College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#21

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 41 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

SXU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $14,528 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full SXU Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,945 for illinois criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#23

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Aurora is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 67 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora also took the #8 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,215 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Aurora University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Aurora University

#24

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lewis University is located in Romeoville, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 154 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Lewis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Lewis University is $18,664 for Illinois Criminal Justice students with aid.

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

Full Lewis University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#25

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #25, Chicago State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Chicago State University is a small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 38 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,733 for illinois criminal justice students with aid per year to attend CSU.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full CSU Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

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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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