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2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s

687 Ranked Colleges
51,953 Degrees Awarded
$16,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor's

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” 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” ranking analyzed 687 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections

#1

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend American Public University System. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s. American Military University is a large school located in Charles Town, West Virginia that handed out 542 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees 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 a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full American Public University System Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Out of the 687 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Phoenix - Arizona landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Phoenix - Arizona is a large private for-profit school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 828 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UOPX - Arizona excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,944 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend University of Phoenix - Arizona.

Full University of Phoenix - Arizona Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#3

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California

Out of the 687 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Phoenix - California landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Phoenix - California is a private for-profit institution located in Costa Mesa, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 123 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UOPX - California is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. 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 UOPX - California is $12,664 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at UOPX - California

#4

Colorado State University - Global Campus

Greenwood Village, Colorado
Top 10% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colorado State University - Global Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s. Colorado State University - Global Campus is located in Greenwood Village, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 77 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Colorado State University - Global Campus 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 low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Colorado State University - Global Campus Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#5

Union Institute & University

Cincinnati, Ohio

Out of the 687 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Union Institute & University landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Union, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Union Institute & University is $16,585 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Union Institute & University

#6

Minot State University

Minot, North Dakota

Minot State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Minot State University is a small public school situated in Minot, North Dakota. It awarded 41 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for MSU is $11,898 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

Full MSU Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#8

Wilmington University

New Castle, Delaware

Wilmington University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Wilmington University is a fairly large school located in New Castle, Delaware that handed out 99 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Wilmington University also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Wilmington University is $14,683 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Wilmington University

#9

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Bemidji State University is a public institution located in Bemidji, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bemidji State University excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Bemidji State University is $15,868 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Bemidji State University

#10

Park University

Parkville, Missouri

With a ranking of #10, Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Parkville, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 146 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Park University is $15,579 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Park University

#11

Purdue University Global

Indianapolis, Indiana
Top 15% in overall quality

Purdue University Global ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school awarded 396 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

Purdue University Global also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Purdue University Global

#12

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #12. 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 made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $15,718 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

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

#13

Winona State University

Winona, Minnesota

With a ranking of #13, Winona State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 68 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Winona State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $17,656 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Winona State University

#14

Herzing University - Brookfield

Brookfield, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #14, Herzing University - Brookfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Herzing University - Brookfield is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Brookfield, Wisconsin. It awarded 3 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Herzing University - Brookfield also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $22,628 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students per year to attend Herzing University - Brookfield.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Herzing University - Brookfield

#15

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 291 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, WIU is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

Full WIU Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#16

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona State University - Skysong ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. ASU - Skysong is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 211 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ASU - Skysong 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 reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Skysong is $13,971 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

Full Arizona State University - Skysong Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

North Dakota State University - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Fargo, North Dakota, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, North Dakota State University is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Dakota State University - Main Campus is $16,584 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 North Dakota State University

University of Phoenix - Hawaii came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. UOPX - Hawaii is a small school located in Honolulu, Hawaii that handed out 12 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

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

#18

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan

Ferris State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Big Rapids, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 288 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

Ferris 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 Ferris is $12,889 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Ferris State University

University of Maryland Global Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Maryland Global Campus is located in Adelphi, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 321 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, UMGC has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,288 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend University of Maryland Global Campus.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Maryland Global Campus

#21

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #21, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of North Dakota is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 65 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UND is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Dakota is $15,738 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of North Dakota

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW Oshkosh 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 yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#23

Excelsior University

Albany, New York

Excelsior University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Excelsior University is a large school located in Albany, New York that handed out 76 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Excelsior University, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking.

Full Excelsior University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Southwest Minnesota State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Southwest Minnesota State University is a medium-sized school located in Marshall, Minnesota that handed out 19 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southwest Minnesota State University is $14,397 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southwest Minnesota State University

#25

Southern New Hampshire University

Manchester, New Hampshire

Southern New Hampshire University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. SNHU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Manchester, New Hampshire. The school has a large population, and it awarded 520 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, SNHU also did well 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 Southern New Hampshire University is $41,095 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at SNHU

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina
#27

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#28

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, South Dakota
#30

University of Minnesota - Crookston

Crookston, Minnesota
#31

Herzing University - Atlanta

Atlanta, Georgia
#34

Westfield State University

Westfield, Massachusetts
#35

Columbia College

Columbia, Missouri
#36

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#37

Thomas University

Thomasville, Georgia
#38

University of Phoenix - Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada
#39

Bethel University

McKenzie, Tennessee
#40

Chadron State College

Chadron, Nebraska
#43

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#44

Worcester State University

Worcester, Massachusetts
#45

Wayne State College

Wayne, Nebraska
#46

Herzing University - Madison

Madison, Wisconsin
#48

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas
#49

Columbia College

Columbia, South Carolina
#50

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC
52 Indian River State College Fort Pierce, FL
53 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
54 University of Wisconsin - Parkside Kenosha, WI
55 Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI
56 Peru State College Peru, NE
57 Minnesota State University - Moorhead Moorhead, MN
58 Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH
59 University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY
60 MSU Texas Wichita Falls, TX
61 Texas A & M University - Central Texas Killeen, TX
62 Lake Superior State University Sault Ste Marie, MI
63 Herzing University - Kenner Kenner, LA
64 Fort Hays State University Hays, KS
65 University of Mary Bismarck, ND
Rank College Location
66 Walden University Minneapolis, MN
67 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA
68 National University La Jolla, CA
69 University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MO
70 Illinois State University Normal, IL
71 Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, MA
72 University of North Georgia Dahlonega, GA
73 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL
74 Tarleton State University Stephenville, TX
75 University of Phoenix - Texas Houston, TX
76 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
77 Florida International University Miami, FL
78 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY
79 Harding University Searcy, AR
80 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA
81 Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global Marion, IN
82 Strayer University - Virginia Arlington, VA
83 University of Houston - Downtown Houston, TX
84 Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Ponce Mercedita, PR
85 Weber State University Ogden, UT
86 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide Daytona Beach, FL
87 University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney, NE
88 Wayland Baptist University Plainview, TX
89 Grand Canyon University Phoenix, AZ
90 Monroe College Bronx, NY
Rank College Location
91 William Carey University Hattiesburg, MS
92 Polk State College Winter Haven, FL
93 Hodges University Naples, FL
94 Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC
95 Waldorf University Forest City, IA
96 ECPI University Virginia Beach, VA
97 Central Christian College of Kansas McPherson, KS
98 University of Puerto Rico - Carolina Carolina, PR
99 Southeast Missouri State University Cape Girardeau, MO
100 Northeastern State University Tahlequah, OK
101 University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OK
102 Franklin University Columbus, OH
103 Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses Fort Wayne, IN
104 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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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