2027 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in South Dakota
[Criminal Justice & Corrections](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminal justice & corrections education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 6 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 South Dakota
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 Western Dakota Technical Institute the best value for a degree in criminal justice & corrections in South Dakota. Located in the city of Rapid City, Western Dakota Technical Institute is a small public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,294. Students borrow a median of $17,999 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $27,459. That is a strong return on a $17,999 median debt.
A rank of #2 makes Lake Area Technical Institute one of the best values for criminal justice & corrections. Located in the town of Watertown, Lake Area Technical Institute is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $6,718 in tuition and fees. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $12,000 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Lake Area Technical Institute earn a median of $41,230 early in their careers. Set against $12,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes Southeast Technical Institute one of the best values for criminal justice & corrections. Southeast Technical Institute is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Sioux Falls. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,650. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $12,000 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Southeast Technical Institute earn a median of $49,560 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #4 makes Dakota Wesleyan University one of the best values for criminal justice & corrections. Set in the town of Mitchell, Dakota Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $33,790. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $31,000 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $71,856. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 73% of applicants are accepted.
University Of South Dakota is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice & corrections, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the town of Vermillion, University Of South Dakota is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,432, compared with $12,942 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from University Of South Dakota generally make around $40,402. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of South Dakota admits about 99% of applicants.
University Of Sioux Falls earned the #6 position for value in criminal justice & corrections this year. University Of Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Sioux Falls. In-state tuition and fees average $21,750. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $26,950. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from University Of Sioux Falls generally make around $38,858. That is a strong return on a $26,950 median debt. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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.
