2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in Virginia

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Master’s in Virginia” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Virginia, there were 3,269 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,712 and $29,846 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 427 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in Virginia” ranking, we looked at 5 colleges that offer a degree 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Virginia” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in Virginia

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

Top 5 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in Virginia

#1

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia

#2 in overall quality

$8,349 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$52,263 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Liberty University landed the #1 spot on the list. Liberty University is located in Lynchburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 366 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Liberty University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Liberty University are $8,349.

Full Liberty University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#2

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia

#1 in overall quality

$37,410 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in Virginia list. GMU is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

GMU also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at GMU are $37,410, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at George Mason University

#3

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia

#3 in overall quality

$29,228 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Commonwealth University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in Virginia list. VCU is a large public school situated in Richmond, Virginia. It awarded 4 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

VCU also took the #3 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at VCU are $29,228.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at VCU

#4

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia

#4 in overall quality

$22,994 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Virginia State University is a public institution located in Petersburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Virginia State University are $22,994, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Virginia State Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#5

South University, Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach, Virginia

#5 in overall quality

$16,320 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$40,089 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South University, Virginia Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in Virginia. South University, Virginia Beach is a small school located in Virginia Beach, Virginia that handed out 10 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

South University, Virginia Beach also took the #5 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at South University, Virginia Beach are $16,320, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at South University, Virginia Beach

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections in the Southeast Region
• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections

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 >