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2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

27 Ranked Colleges
961 Degrees Awarded
$15,400 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master's in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Southwest region, there were 16,347 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,942 and $25,383 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 961 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,078 and $37,227 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 27 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 for a Master’s in the Southwest Region 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region master’s degree criminal justice students with aid.

Top 26 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Southwest Region (With Aid)

#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A & M University - Central Texas. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Texas A & M University - Central Texas is a public institution located in Killeen, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A & M University - Central Texas not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A & M University - Central Texas are $13,561.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Texas A & M University - Central Texas

#17 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M International University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized school located in Laredo, Texas that handed out 23 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M International University, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M International University are $15,106.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Texas A&M International University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 11 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley are $15,151.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

#21 in overall quality

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Texas at Dallas landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 9 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNT Dallas, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UNT Dallas are $13,681.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at UNT Dallas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Phoenix - Arizona. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 148 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UOPX - Arizona, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Phoenix - Arizona are $17,096.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Phoenix - Arizona

University of Houston - Downtown did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. University of Houston - Downtown is a fairly large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 39 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Downtown also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at UH Downtown are $15,739, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Houston - Downtown

#7

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. SHSU is a public institution located in Huntsville, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 116 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SHSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Sam Houston State University are $15,704, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full SHSU Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#8

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

With a ranking of #8, Lamar University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Beaumont, Texas, and it awarded 86 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Lamar University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Lamar University are $15,699, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Lamar University

#9

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Tahlequah, Oklahoma is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

NSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at NSU are $10,600, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at NSU

#10

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Arizona State University - Skysong is a large school located in Scottsdale, Arizona that handed out 200 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, ASU - Skysong has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Arizona State University - Skysong are $6,724, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Arizona State University - Skysong Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#10

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas
#22 in overall quality

MSU Texas landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. MSU Texas is a medium-sized public school situated in Wichita Falls, Texas. It awarded 7 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Texas also took the #22 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at MSU Texas are $7,935, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full MSU Texas Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#14 in overall quality

The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 17 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UTSA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UTSA are $25,807.

Full UTSA Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#20 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Tyler landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Texas at Tyler is located in Tyler, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

UT Tyler did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Tyler are $16,308.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at The University of Texas at Tyler

#13

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#6 in overall quality

Texas State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Texas State University is a public institution located in San Marcos, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas State University are $17,040, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Texas State University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#14

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas

Tarleton State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Stephenville, Texas, and it awarded 32 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tarleton, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Tarleton State University are $15,485, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Tarleton

#15

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

University of North Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Denton, Texas, and it awarded 17 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNT are $15,618, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of North Texas

#16

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Angelo State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Angelo State University is located in San Angelo, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Angelo State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Angelo State University are $14,396, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Angelo State Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. The University of Texas at Arlington is a large public school situated in Arlington, Texas. It awarded 29 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Arlington are $23,376, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at The University of Texas at Arlington

New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico that handed out 16 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

NMSU Main Campus also took the #23 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at NMSU Main Campus are $18,275.

Full NMSU Main Campus Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#19

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas

West Texas A&M University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Canyon, Texas, and it awarded 2 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at West Texas A&M University, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at West Texas A&M University are $8,013, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at West Texas A&M University

#9 in overall quality

University of Central Oklahoma came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Central Oklahoma is a fairly large public school situated in Edmond, Oklahoma. It awarded 5 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, UCO has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCO are $17,913.

Full UCO Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#21

Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, Texas

Prairie View A & M University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. PVAMU is a medium-sized public school situated in Prairie View, Texas. It awarded 2 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at PVAMU, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at PVAMU are $17,071.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at PVAMU

#22

Texas Southern University

Houston, Texas

Texas Southern University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Texas Southern University is a medium-sized public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 12 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

TSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at TSU are $13,221, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Texas Southern University

#23

University of the Southwest

Hobbs, New Mexico
#25 in overall quality

University of the Southwest landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Hobbs, New Mexico, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

USW also took the #25 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of the Southwest are $22,500, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at USW

#24

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, Arizona

Grand Canyon University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Phoenix, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 93 students in 2019-2020.

Grand Canyon University also took the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Grand Canyon University are $11,436.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Grand Canyon University

#25

Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, Texas
#8 in overall quality

Wayland Baptist University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Plainview, Texas, and it awarded 15 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Wayland Baptist University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Wayland Baptist University are $14,710.

Full Wayland Baptist University 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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