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2026 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Montana

[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.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for criminal justice & corrections students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Montana

2026 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Montana

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the criminal justice & corrections degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools

1

Montana State University Northern
Havre, MT

$6,982 In-State Tuition & Fees

$24,069 Avg Student Debt

$49,505 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Montana State University Northern, our #1 best value for criminal justice & corrections in Montana. Located in the town of Havre, Montana State University Northern is a small public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,982, compared with $21,875 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $24,069. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Montana State University Northern generally make around $43,158. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.

2

Montana State University Billings
Billings, MT

$7,280 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,465 Avg Student Debt

$44,296 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Montana State University Billings earned it the #2 place for criminal justice & corrections. Montana State University Billings is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Billings. Students from in state pay about $7,280 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,897. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $25,465. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $48,764. Set against $25,465 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.

View All Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.