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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in California

25 Ranked Colleges
4,874 Degrees Awarded
$14,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor's in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Bachelor’s in California” 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 California, there were 16,534 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,495 and $19,443 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,874 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminal justice and corrections. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality criminal justice and corrections programs that also have a lower cost than 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools

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 Bachelor’s in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 for a Bachelor’s in California

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

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

#1

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Phoenix - California. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UOPX - California is located in Costa Mesa, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 123 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, UOPX - California has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,664 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend University of Phoenix - California.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 208 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - San Bernardino landed the #4 spot on the list. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 294 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at CSUSB

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Stanislaus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 223 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, Stan State has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Stan State

California State University - Sacramento landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 494 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

Sac State also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $9,979 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend Sac State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at California State University - Sacramento

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #7. California State University - East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 204 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, Cal State East Bay has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Cal State East Bay

California State University - Chico landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 173 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 California State University - Chico

#9

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #9, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 253 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

Full San Francisco State University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

California State University - Fullerton landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 334 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 California State University - Fullerton

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 307 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at California State University - Los Angeles

#12

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #12. SSU is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 85 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

SSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SSU is $17,478 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at SSU

#13

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 317 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 San Diego State University

#14

San Jose State University

San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Jose State is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 174 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full San Jose State Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 203 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, CSUDH has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at CSUDH

#16

National University

La Jolla, California

National University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. National University is a private not-for-profit institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 105 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, National University has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full National University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. CSUB is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 159 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,318 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at California State University - Bakersfield

#18

DeVry University - California

Pomona, California

DeVry University - California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #18. This small school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

DeVry University - California did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for DeVry University - California is $26,056 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at DeVry University - California

Humphreys University - Stockton and Modesto Campuses ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Stockton, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

Humphreys University also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Humphreys University is $11,055 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Humphreys University

#20

La Sierra University

Riverside, California

La Sierra University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. La Sierra University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 49 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

La Sierra also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $24,046 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend La Sierra University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full La Sierra University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#21

California Baptist University

Riverside, California

California Baptist University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California Baptist University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 62 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, Cal Baptist has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Baptist is $24,707 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Cal Baptist

#22

Platt College - Ontario

Ontario, California
#23 in overall quality

Platt College - Ontario came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Platt College - Ontario is located in Ontario, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Platt College - Ontario also took the #23 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Platt College - Ontario is $23,287 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Platt College - Ontario

Santa Barbara Business College - Bakersfield ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Santa Barbara Business College - Bakersfield is a private for-profit institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Santa Barbara Business College - Bakersfield did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Santa Barbara Business College - Bakersfield is $15,877 for California Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Santa Barbara Business College - Bakersfield

#24

Platt College - Los Angeles

Alhambra, California
#25 in overall quality

Platt College - Los Angeles landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This small school is located in Alhambra, California, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Platt College - Los Angeles also took the #25 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Platt College - Los Angeles is $22,710 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Platt College - Los Angeles

#25

Platt College - Riverside

Riverside, California

Platt College - Riverside ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Platt College - Riverside is located in Riverside, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Platt College - Riverside is $25,812 for california bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.

Full Platt College - Riverside 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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