2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Mississippi

[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 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find the best return on investment for criminal justice & corrections students.
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2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Mississippi
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 Coahoma Community College this year. Set in the rural area of Clarksdale, Coahoma Community College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,490 in tuition and fees. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $11,745 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Coahoma Community College generally make around $29,600. Set against $11,745 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Itawamba Community College earned it the #2 place for criminal justice & corrections. Set in the rural area of Fulton, Itawamba Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,420, compared with $5,820 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $10,942 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Itawamba Community College generally make around $32,996. Set against $10,942 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at East Mississippi Community College earned it the #3 place for criminal justice & corrections. Set in the rural area of Scooba, East Mississippi Community College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,095, compared with $7,445 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $9,422. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of East Mississippi Community College earn a median of $34,012 early in their careers. Set against $9,422 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Holmes Community College earned it the #4 place for criminal justice & corrections. Located in the rural area of Goodman, Holmes Community College is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $3,710, while out-of-state students pay about $6,610. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $13,191. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $24,853. That is a strong return on a $13,191 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice & corrections will find it at Northwest Mississippi Community College, which ranked #5. Located in the town of Senatobia, Northwest Mississippi Community College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,740. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $9,990. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $35,001. Set against $9,990 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College earned the #6 position for value in criminal justice & corrections this year. Set in the rural area of Perkinston, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,250, while out-of-state students pay about $7,850. Students borrow a median of $10,000 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $28,817. Set against $10,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Mississippi Main Campus came in at #7 for value in criminal justice & corrections this year. Set in the town of University, University Of Mississippi Main Campus is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,772, while out-of-state students pay about $28,600. Students borrow a median of $22,171 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $40,243. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Mississippi Main Campus admits about 97% of applicants.
Alcorn State University came in at #8 for value in criminal justice & corrections this year. Alcorn State University is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Alcorn State. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,785. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $28,065. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Alcorn State University earn a median of $30,617 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 45% of applicants are accepted.
Delta State University placed #9 among the best values for criminal justice & corrections. Set in the town of Cleveland, Delta State University is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,605. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $25,896 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Delta State University earn a median of $41,580 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,896 median debt. Delta State University admits about 100% of applicants.
William Carey University earned the #10 position for value in criminal justice & corrections this year. Located in the city of Hattiesburg, William Carey University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,480. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $24,729 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of William Carey University earn a median of $35,540 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,729 median debt. The acceptance rate is 60%.
University Of Southern Mississippi ranked #11 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice & corrections schools. Located in the city of Hattiesburg, University Of Southern Mississippi is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,998, while out-of-state students pay about $11,998. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $21,125 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $36,315. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Jackson State University placed #12 among the best values for criminal justice & corrections. Located in the city of Jackson, Jackson State University is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $8,965, with out-of-state students paying around $11,965. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $31,000. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $27,101. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Mississippi College came in at #13 for value in criminal justice & corrections this year. Set in the suburb of Clinton, Mississippi College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,500. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $37,324. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Mississippi College admits about 29% of applicants.
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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 · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 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.