2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Great Lakes Region
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 Great Lakes region, there were 13,233 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,369 and $24,187 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 594 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 27 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the criminal justice and corrections program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree criminal justice students.
Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University Global landed the #1 spot on the list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 51 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue University Global, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University Global are $10,674, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full Purdue University Global Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Xavier University landed the #2 spot on the list. Xavier University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 18 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Xavier not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Xavier University are $12,076, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Illinois University landed the #3 spot on the list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.
WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at WIU are $11,996.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ferris State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. Ferris is located in Big Rapids, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ferris, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ferris State University are $7,908.
Full Ferris State University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree criminal justice students list, Illinois State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois State are $11,069.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Illinois State University
Lewis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. This medium-sized school is located in Romeoville, Illinois, and it awarded 45 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Lewis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Lewis University are $14,780, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 39 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Platteville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Platteville are $18,226, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full University of Wisconsin - Platteville Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
SIUE also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at SIUE are $9,300.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Tiffin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Tiffin University is a small school located in Tiffin, Ohio that handed out 16 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tiffin University, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Tiffin University are $13,000.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Tiffin University
With a ranking of #10, Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Trine is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Trine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Trine are $10,350.
Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at GVSU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Grand Valley State University are $17,448.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Grand Valley State University
Youngstown State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Youngstown State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Youngstown State University are $9,495.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Youngstown State University
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 121 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
UC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC are $26,644, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Adrian College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Adrian, Michigan, and it awarded 4 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Adrian also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Adrian College are $19,575.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Adrian College
Governors State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University Park, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at GSU, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at GSU are $14,674.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Governors State University
Loyola University Chicago came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 11 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Loyola Chicago also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Loyola University Chicago are $19,154.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Loyola University Chicago
Franklin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Franklin University is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Franklin University also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Franklin University are $16,080.
Full Franklin University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
With a ranking of #18, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.
IUPUI also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis are $26,013, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.
UWM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee are $25,295.
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree criminal justice students list, UIC has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Chicago are $27,036, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Michigan - Dearborn came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Dearborn, Michigan, and it awarded 11 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
UM Dearborn also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Dearborn are $25,072.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Michigan - Dearborn
With a ranking of #22, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree criminal justice students list, Kent State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Kent State University at Kent are $21,952, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Kent State
University of Toledo ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Toledo is a fairly large school located in Toledo, Ohio that handed out 12 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Toledo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Toledo are $27,067.
Full University of Toledo Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Chicago State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. CSU is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 12 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at CSU are $15,056, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Michigan State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State University are $37,056.
Full Michigan State University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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