2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region
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 the Plains States Region” 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 the Plains States region, there were 6,120 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,044 and $27,500 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,178 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking analyzed 67 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.
Featured schools near , edit
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 the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Minot State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. MSU is a small school located in Minot, North Dakota that handed out 41 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
MSU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Minot State University is $11,898 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bemidji State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. Bemidji State University is a small public school situated in Bemidji, Minnesota. It awarded 63 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bemidji State University, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bemidji State University is $15,868 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Full Bemidji State University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Out of the 67 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Park University landed the #3 spot on the 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.
Park University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Park University is $15,579 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Out of the 67 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Winona State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Winona State is a medium-sized school located in Winona, Minnesota that handed out 68 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Winona State also took the #1 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,656 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students per year to attend Winona State.
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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Dakota State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. Fargo, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Dakota State University, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Dakota State University is $16,584 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at North Dakota State University - Main Campus
University of North Dakota did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #6. UND is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 65 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, UND has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UND is $15,738 for plains states region 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%.
Southwest Minnesota State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Southwest Minnesota State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Marshall, Minnesota. It awarded 19 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Southwest Minnesota State University is $14,397 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
Full Southwest Minnesota State University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
University of South Dakota came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Vermillion, South Dakota, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
USD also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $18,555 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students per year to attend University of South Dakota.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
University of Minnesota - Crookston ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. UMN Crookston is a public institution located in Crookston, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Crookston, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Crookston is $10,952 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Full University of Minnesota - Crookston Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
With a ranking of #10, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 85 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Minnesota State Mankato, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,221 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students per year to attend Minnesota State Mankato.
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 Minnesota State University - Mankato
With a ranking of #11, Columbia College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Columbia College is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 145 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Columbia College Missouri is $26,730 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Columbia College Missouri
Saint Cloud State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Cloud, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 73 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Cloud State University, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Cloud State University is $14,267 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
Full Saint Cloud State University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Chadron State College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Chadron State College is a small school located in Chadron, Nebraska that handed out 33 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Chadron State College is $14,268 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Full Chadron State College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Truman State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Truman State University is located in Kirksville, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Truman State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Truman State University is $12,462 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Wayne State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Wayne, Nebraska, this small public school awarded 51 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,765 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students per year to attend WSC.
With a ranking of #16, Metropolitan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Metro State is a medium-sized public school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 134 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Metro State also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Metro State is $15,225 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Metro State
Peru State College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Peru, Nebraska, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,058 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students per year to attend Peru State College.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Peru State College
Minnesota State University - Moorhead did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Moorhead, Minnesota, this medium-sized public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students list, MSU Moorhead has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Moorhead is $16,893 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
With a ranking of #19, Fort Hays State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Hays, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 51 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Fort Hays State University is $12,053 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Fort Hays State University
University of Mary did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #20. UMary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bismarck, North Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMary, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Mary is $17,410 for plains states region 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%.
With a ranking of #21, Walden University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Walden University
University of Central Missouri landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. UCM is a public institution located in Warrensburg, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UCM is $13,677 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Central Missouri
University of Nebraska at Kearney came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. UNK is a medium-sized school located in Kearney, Nebraska that handed out 26 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Kearney is $16,017 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students.
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%.
With a ranking of #24, Waldorf University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Waldorf University is a small school located in Forest City, Iowa that handed out 32 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Waldorf also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $20,036 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students per year to attend Waldorf University.
Central Christian College of Kansas ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in McPherson, Kansas, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Central Christian College also took the #24 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,386 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students per year to attend Central Christian College of Kansas.
Full Central Christian College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
All Degree Levels
Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Plains States Region
Bachelors
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Plains States Region
Doctorate
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Plains States Region
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Great Lakes Region
Narrow Results by State
Kansas
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in Kansas
Iowa
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in Iowa
North Dakota
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in North Dakota
Nebraska
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in Nebraska
Switch to a More Focused Major
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice and Corrections, General in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice & Police Science
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Police Science in the Plains States Region
Other Corrections & Criminal Justice
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Corrections & Criminal Justice in the Plains States Region
Corrections
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Corrections in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice Studies
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice Studies in the Plains States Region
Securities Services Administration/Management
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Securities Services Administration/Management in the Plains States Region
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice & Corrections students in the Plains States Region
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice & Corrections students in the Plains States Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools
Criminal Justice & Corrections students in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice & Corrections students with family income less than $30k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice & Corrections students with family income $48-$75k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income Over $110k) in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice & Corrections students with family income exceeding $110k in the Plains States Region
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Criminal Justice & Corrections Graduates in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice & Corrections students in the Plains States Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice & Corrections students in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
Criminal Justice & Corrections students getting aid in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice & Corrections students with family income $30-$48k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice & Corrections students with family income $75-$110k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice & Corrections students in the Plains States Region
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.
Featured Criminal Justice Administration Schools
Request Info |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |