2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Kansas
[Criminal Justice & Corrections](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for criminal justice & corrections students.
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2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Kansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice & corrections, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools
Fort Hays State University tops our 2027 list of the best value criminal justice & corrections schools in Kansas. Fort Hays State University is a large public school located in the town of Hays. In-state tuition and fees average $5,923, with out-of-state students paying around $17,741. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $28,750 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Fort Hays State University generally make around $42,428. That is a strong return on a $28,750 median debt. Fort Hays State University admits about 90% of applicants.
Central Christian College Of Kansas is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections, landing the #2 spot this year. Central Christian College Of Kansas is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of McPherson. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $21,000. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $36,076. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Central Christian College Of Kansas earn a median of $55,453 early in their careers. Set against $36,076 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 53%.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice & corrections will find it at Wichita State University, which ranked #3. Wichita State University is a large public school located in the city of Wichita. In-state tuition and fees average $9,684, with out-of-state students paying around $19,869. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Wichita State University generally make around $44,013. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Wichita State University admits about 94% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice & corrections will find it at Washburn University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Topeka, Washburn University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,945, while out-of-state students pay about $20,949. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $20,822 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $40,052. That is a strong return on a $20,822 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Johnson County Community College earned it the #5 place for criminal justice & corrections. Johnson County Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Overland Park. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,424, while out-of-state students pay about $5,688. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $20,106 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Johnson County Community College generally make around $55,171. That is a strong return on a $20,106 median debt.
Pittsburg State University placed #6 among the best values for criminal justice & corrections. Set in the town of Pittsburg, Pittsburg State University is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,400, with out-of-state students paying around $19,744. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $24,843. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Pittsburg State University earn a median of $50,003 early in their careers. Set against $24,843 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Butler Community College earned the #7 position for value in criminal justice & corrections this year. Butler Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of El Dorado. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,541, with out-of-state students paying around $6,271. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $16,670. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $39,404. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Sterling College Kansas earned the #8 position for value in criminal justice & corrections this year. Sterling College Kansas is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Sterling. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $33,700. Students borrow a median of $27,250 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $30,086. That is a strong return on a $27,250 median debt. Roughly 48% of applicants are accepted.
Kansas Wesleyan University landed the #9 spot for criminal justice & corrections value this year. Kansas Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Salina. Students from in state pay about $34,630 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $24,330. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $37,301. That is a strong return on a $24,330 median debt. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Bethany College Kansas placed #10 among the best values for criminal justice & corrections. Located in the rural area of Lindsborg, Bethany College Kansas is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $33,000. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $24,438 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Bethany College Kansas generally make around $29,106. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 56% of applicants are accepted.
Southwestern College earned the #11 position for value in criminal justice & corrections this year. Set in the town of Winfield, Southwestern College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $39,822. Students borrow a median of $26,874 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Southwestern College earn a median of $60,820 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,874 median debt. Southwestern College admits about 76% of applicants.
More Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 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.
