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2022 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Southwest Region (With Aid)

118 Ranked Colleges
16,347 Degrees Awarded
$6,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 the Southwest region, there were 16,347 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,942 and $25,383 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 118 colleges that offered 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.

More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools

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 in the Southwest 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Southwest Region (With Aid)

#1

South Texas College

McAllen, Texas

Out of the 118 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, South Texas College landed the #1 spot on the list. McAllen, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 413 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region criminal justice students with aid list, South Texas College has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $1,174 for southwest region criminal justice students with aid per year to attend South Texas College.

Full South Texas College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Out of the 118 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #2 spot on the list. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 436 students in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley also took the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $4,514 for southwest region criminal justice students with aid.

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%.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

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 in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Killeen, Texas, and it awarded 42 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A & M University - Central Texas also took the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking.

Full Texas A & M University - Central Texas Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Out of the 118 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Austin Community College District landed the #4 spot on the list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 136 students in 2019-2020.

Austin Community College District also took the #16 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Austin Community College District is $6,861 for southwest region criminal justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Austin Community College District

#5

El Paso Community College

El Paso, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend El Paso Community College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in El Paso, Texas, this large public school handed out 356 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,594 for southwest region criminal justice students with aid per year to attend El Paso Community College.

Full El Paso Community College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Texas A&M International University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Texas A&M International University is located in Laredo, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 213 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $3,074 for Southwest Region Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Texas A&M International University.

Full Texas A&M International University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#7

Amarillo College

Amarillo, Texas

Amarillo College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Amarillo College is a medium-sized school located in Amarillo, Texas that handed out 89 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region criminal justice students with aid list, Amarillo College has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $5,578 for Southwest Region Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Amarillo College.

Full Amarillo College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#8

South Plains College

Levelland, Texas

South Plains College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. South Plains College is located in Levelland, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 98 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region criminal justice students with aid list, South Plains College has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Plains College is $7,600 for southwest region criminal justice students with aid.

Full South Plains College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Collin County Community College District did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Collin County Community College District is located in McKinney, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Collin County Community College District did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Collin County Community College District is $6,293 for Southwest Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Collin County Community College District Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#10

Del Mar College

Corpus Christi, Texas

Del Mar College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Corpus Christi, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region criminal justice students with aid list, DMC has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Del Mar College is $5,738 for Southwest Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at DMC

#11

Rio Salado College

Tempe, Arizona

With a ranking of #11, Rio Salado College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Rio Salado College is a fairly large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 2,084 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Rio Salado College, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $9,320 for southwest region criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Rio Salado College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Rio Salado College

#12

Lone Star College System

The Woodlands, Texas

Lone Star College System landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lone Star College System is a public institution located in The Woodlands, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 131 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Harris Montgomery also took the #6 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Harris Montgomery is $8,016 for Southwest Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Lone Star College System

#13

Pima Community College

Tucson, Arizona

Pima Community College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 121 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Pima Community College is $3,583 for southwest region criminal justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Pima Community College

#14

Tarrant County College District

Fort Worth, Texas

Tarrant County College District landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Tarrant County College is a large public school situated in Fort Worth, Texas. It awarded 70 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,434 for Southwest Region Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Tarrant County College District.

Full Tarrant County College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

University of North Texas at Dallas came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of North Texas at Dallas is a small school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 87 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UNT Dallas also took the #21 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Texas at Dallas is $8,488 for southwest region criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at UNT Dallas

McLennan Community College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. McLennan Community College is a medium-sized public school situated in Waco, Texas. It awarded 109 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,752 for Southwest Region Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend MCC.

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

#18

Temple College

Temple, Texas

Temple College landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Temple, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 46 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Temple College is $5,300 for southwest region criminal justice students with aid.

Full Temple College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Lamar Institute of Technology landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Beaumont, Texas, this small public school handed out 53 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lamar Institute of Technology is $6,904 for Southwest Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Lamar Institute of Technology Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#20

Redlands Community College

El Reno, Oklahoma
Top 25% in overall quality

Redlands Community College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in El Reno, Oklahoma, and it awarded 20 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Redlands Community College is $5,538 for Southwest Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

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

#21

Houston Community College

Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #21, Houston Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Houston Community College is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 84 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Houston Community College is $5,272 for southwest region criminal justice students with aid.

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

With a ranking of #22, Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. OSU-OKC is a public institution located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,753 for southwest region criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at OSU-OKC

#23

Northern Oklahoma College

Tonkawa, Oklahoma

Northern Oklahoma College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, this small public school handed out 34 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Oklahoma College is $7,474 for Southwest Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Northern Oklahoma College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#24

New Mexico State University - Dona Ana

Las Cruces, New Mexico

With a ranking of #24, New Mexico State University - Dona Ana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Las Cruces, New Mexico is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 76 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend New Mexico State University - Dona Ana is $5,539 for Southwest Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full NMSU Dona Ana Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

University of Phoenix - Arizona landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 1,621 students in 2019-2020.

UOPX - Arizona also took the #2 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UOPX - Arizona is $12,944 for Southwest Region Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Phoenix - Arizona

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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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