2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in New Mexico

[Criminal Justice & Corrections](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminal justice & corrections education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 8 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 New Mexico
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
Our analysis ranked Central New Mexico Community College the best value for a degree in criminal justice & corrections in New Mexico. Central New Mexico Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Albuquerque. Students from in state pay about $2,060 in tuition and fees, compared with $8,684 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $10,112. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $35,865. That is a strong return on a $10,112 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice & corrections will find it at Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus, which ranked #2. Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Portales. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,074, while out-of-state students pay about $9,054. Students borrow a median of $17,912 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $31,599. Set against $17,912 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Eastern New Mexico University Main Campus admits about 92% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice & corrections will find it at San Juan College, which ranked #3. Located in the rural area of Farmington, San Juan College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $1,910, while out-of-state students pay about $5,393. Students borrow a median of $8,768 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of San Juan College earn a median of $49,243 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
New Mexico State University Dona Ana came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice & corrections schools. New Mexico State University Dona Ana is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Las Cruces. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,322, while out-of-state students pay about $6,360. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $7,425 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $27,638. That is a strong return on a $7,425 median debt.
New Mexico Junior College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections, landing the #5 spot this year. New Mexico Junior College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Hobbs. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $1,440, while out-of-state students pay about $2,280. Students borrow a median of $9,986 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of New Mexico Junior College earn a median of $50,220 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,986 median debt.
Western New Mexico University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice & corrections schools. Western New Mexico University is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Silver City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,855, compared with $14,341 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $20,379. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $32,386. Set against $20,379 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
New Mexico State University Main Campus ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice & corrections schools. Set in the suburb of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University Main Campus is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,183, compared with $25,307 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $14,034. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of New Mexico State University Main Campus earn a median of $34,870 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
University Of New Mexico Main Campus came in at #8 for value in criminal justice & corrections this year. University Of New Mexico Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Albuquerque. In-state tuition and fees average $10,140, with out-of-state students paying around $33,060. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $16,500 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $38,370. That is a strong return on a $16,500 median debt. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 8 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.