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2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

461 Ranked Colleges
46,814 Degrees Awarded
$4,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 46,814 people earned their degree in criminal justice studies, making the major the 16th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 461 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminal justice studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent criminal justice studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the criminal justice studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice Studies (Income $0-$30k)

1

Out of the 461 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, South Georgia Technical College landed the #1 spot on the list. Americus, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice studies degrees to 170 students in 2020-2021.

South Georgia Technical College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $340 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend South Georgia Technical College.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at South Georgia Technical College

2
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Florida State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 608 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $4,950 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Florida State University Criminal Justice Studies Report

3
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 115 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

4
South Texas College crest
South Texas College
McAllen, Texas

Out of the 461 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, South Texas College landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in McAllen, Texas, and it awarded 310 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,200 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend South Texas College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at South Texas College

5

Out of the 461 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 330 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Cal State LA is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $1,887 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at California State University - Los Angeles

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice studies degrees to 646 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCF, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,468 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCF.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Central Florida Criminal Justice Studies Report

7

Florida International University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida International University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 643 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU excels when it comes to criminal justice studies quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Florida International University is $3,196 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at FIU

8
CSN crest
College of Southern Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada

College of Southern Nevada landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. College of Southern Nevada is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 181 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

CSN also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $6,140 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend College of Southern Nevada.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at CSN

9
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

El Centro College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. El Centro College is located in Dallas, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 324 ’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

El Centro College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. It costs about $3,791 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend El Centro College.

Full El Centro College Criminal Justice Studies Report

10
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

With a ranking of #10, Indian River State College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indian River State College is located in Fort Pierce, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 72 ’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Indian River State College is $2,686 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Indian River State College

11
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, this large private for-profit school handed out 730 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice studies students in 2020-2021.

American Military University also made our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend American Public University System is $9,660 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full American Public University System Criminal Justice Studies Report

12

Georgia Northwestern Technical College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Rome, Georgia, this medium-sized public school handed out 69 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice studies students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Northwestern Technical College is $306 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Georgia Northwestern Technical College

13

California State University - Fullerton came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 365 ’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Cal State Fullerton is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Cal State Fullerton Criminal Justice Studies Report

14

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Valdosta, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice studies degrees to 68 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,613 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wiregrass Georgia Technical College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College

15

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 138 ’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

IUPUI excels when it comes to criminal justice studies quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $7,026 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

16
CGTC crest
Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins, Georgia

With a ranking of #16, Central Georgia Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Central Georgia Technical College is a public institution located in Warner Robins, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 161 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CGTC is $1,458 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Central Georgia Technical College Criminal Justice Studies Report

17

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 295 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,657 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUDH.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at CSUDH

18

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 193 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $4,122 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at California State University - Stanislaus

19
Gateway Technical College crest
Gateway Technical College
Kenosha, Wisconsin

Gateway Technical College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Gateway Technical College is a public institution located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Gateway Technical College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. It costs about $6,921 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Gateway Technical College.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Gateway Technical College

20
Albany Technical College crest
Albany Technical College
Albany, Georgia

Albany Technical College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Albany, Georgia, this small public school handed out 146 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice studies students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Albany Technical College is $84 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Albany Technical College

21
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, Indiana

Ivy Tech Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ivy Tech Community College is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 581 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Ivy Tech Community College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Ivy Tech Community College is $6,213 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Ivy Tech Community College

22

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 321 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CSULB is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,663 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at California State University - Long Beach

23
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Florida Atlantic University is a large public school situated in Boca Raton, Florida. It awarded 313 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

FAU also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida Atlantic University is $6,726 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida Atlantic University Criminal Justice Studies Report

24

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 266 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice studies students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $5,985 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at CSUSB

25

University of Houston - Downtown landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Houston - Downtown is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 219 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UH Downtown is $10,215 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at UH Downtown

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts
27
28
29
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
30
31
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
32
College of Southern Idaho crest
College of Southern Idaho
Twin Falls, Idaho
33
34
Forsyth Tech crest
Forsyth Technical Community College
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
34
36
Savannah Tech crest
Savannah Technical College
Savannah, Georgia
37
North Georgia Technical College crest
North Georgia Technical College
Clarkesville, Georgia
38
39
NKU crest
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, Kentucky
40
41
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts
42
43
Western Technical College crest
Western Technical College
La Crosse, Wisconsin
44
45
46
Century College crest
Century College
White Bear Lake, Minnesota
47
48
CWU crest
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington
49
FTCC crest
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Fayetteville, North Carolina
50

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Indiana University - Northwest Gary, IN
52 Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC
53 Iowa State University Ames, IA
54 Chemeketa Community College Salem, OR
55 College of the Mainland Texas City, TX
56 Texas State University San Marcos, TX
56 Pitt Community College Winterville, NC
58 Ball State University Muncie, IN
59 Appalachian State University Boone, NC
60 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
61 The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX
62 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
63 The University of Texas at Brownsville Brownsville, TX
64 Southern Crescent Technical College Griffin, GA
65 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
Rank College Location
65 Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC
67 New Mexico State University - Dona Ana Las Cruces, NM
68 University of Nebraska at Omaha Omaha, NE
69 Pima Community College Tucson, AZ
70 University of Wyoming Laramie, WY

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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