2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in District of Columbia

[Criminal Justice & Corrections](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value criminal justice & corrections schools.
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2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in District of Columbia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice & corrections, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools
For return on investment in criminal justice & corrections, no school beat Trinity Washington University this year. Set in the city of Washington, Trinity Washington University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $26,610. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $33,564. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Trinity Washington University generally make around $47,385. Set against $33,564 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 100%.
A rank of #2 makes University Of The District Of Columbia one of the best values for criminal justice & corrections. Located in the city of Washington, University Of The District Of Columbia is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,662 in tuition and fees, compared with $12,514 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $32,304 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $57,060. That is a strong return on a $32,304 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice & corrections will find it at Strayer University Global Region, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Washington, Strayer University Global Region is a large private for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,920. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $56,937 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $43,405. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
George Washington University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice & corrections schools. George Washington University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $67,710. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from George Washington University generally make around $51,256. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. George Washington University admits about 47% of applicants.
American University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the city of Washington, American University is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $58,771. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from American University generally make around $49,607. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. Roughly 62% of applicants are accepted.
Howard University earned the #6 position for value in criminal justice & corrections this year. Howard University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Washington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,810. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $26,000. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Howard University generally make around $27,801. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 41%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 6 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.