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2023 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice Studies (Income $30-$48k)

457 Ranked Colleges
46,814 Degrees Awarded
$4,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 457 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminal justice studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality criminal justice studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the criminal justice studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice Studies Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice Studies (Income $30-$48k)

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Georgia Technical College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. South Georgia Technical College is a small school located in Americus, Georgia that handed out 170 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, South Georgia Technical College also did well 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 yearly cost to attend South Georgia Technical College is $1,374 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

2
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Florida State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice studies degrees to 608 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $7,349 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Florida State

3
South Texas College crest
South Texas College
McAllen, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Texas College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in McAllen, Texas, this large public school handed out 310 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice studies students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend South Texas College is $1,783 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at South Texas College

4

Out of the 457 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 330 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice studies students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cal State LA is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $2,701 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

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 full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Cal State LA

5
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indian River State College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indian River State College is a fairly large public school situated in Fort Pierce, Florida. It awarded 72 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Indian River State College is $3,595 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Indian River State College Criminal Justice Studies Report

6
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 115 ’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. It costs about $7,061 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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 91%.

Full IU Bloomington Criminal Justice Studies Report

7
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

With a ranking of #7, El Centro College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. El Centro College is a large school located in Dallas, Texas that handed out 324 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, El Centro College 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 El Centro College is $4,619 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full El Centro College Criminal Justice Studies Report

8
CSN crest
College of Southern Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada

With a ranking of #8, College of Southern Nevada did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. College of Southern Nevada is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 181 ’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

CSN also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for College of Southern Nevada is $6,874 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full CSN Criminal Justice Studies Report

9

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. 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. The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $6,256 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCF Criminal Justice Studies Report

10

With a ranking of #10, Florida International University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. FIU is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 643 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, FIU also did well 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 FIU is $4,882 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at FIU

11
CGTC crest
Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins, Georgia

Central Georgia Technical College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Central Georgia Technical College is a medium-sized school located in Warner Robins, Georgia that handed out 161 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CGTC is $2,341 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at CGTC

12

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice studies degrees to 295 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $3,329 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 California State University - Dominguez Hills

13

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 193 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice studies students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $4,903 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State University - Stanislaus Criminal Justice Studies Report

14
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. American Public University System is a private for-profit institution located in Charles Town, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 730 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

American Military University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” list. It costs about $10,885 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend American Military University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at American Military University

15

Georgia Northwestern Technical College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Georgia Northwestern Technical College is a public institution located in Rome, Georgia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 69 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $701 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Georgia Northwestern Technical College.

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

16
Albany Technical College crest
Albany Technical College
Albany, Georgia

With a ranking of #16, Albany Technical College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Albany Technical College is a public institution located in Albany, Georgia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 146 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,053 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Albany Technical College.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Albany Technical College

17

The University of West Florida landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Pensacola, Florida, and it awarded 85 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,827 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UWF.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at UWF

18

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice studies degrees to 138 students in 2020-2021.

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 $8,216 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Criminal Justice Studies Report

19
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, Indiana

With a ranking of #19, Ivy Tech Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ivy Tech Community College is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 581 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Ivy Tech Community 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. The estimated yearly cost for Ivy Tech Community College is $6,820 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at Ivy Tech Community College

20
College of Southern Idaho crest
College of Southern Idaho
Twin Falls, Idaho

College of Southern Idaho ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. College of Southern Idaho is a medium-sized school located in Twin Falls, Idaho that handed out 34 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,752 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend College of Southern Idaho.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at College of Southern Idaho

21

California State University - Fullerton came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 365 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton 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 yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $5,821 for Criminal Justice Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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

22

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wiregrass Georgia Technical College is located in Valdosta, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 68 ’s criminal justice studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Wiregrass Georgia Technical College is $2,468 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

23
COM crest
College of the Mainland
Texas City, Texas

College of the Mainland came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Texas City, Texas, and it awarded 25 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for College of the Mainland is $856 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice Studies at College of the Mainland

24
Gateway Technical College crest
Gateway Technical College
Kenosha, Wisconsin

Gateway Technical College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 also took the #18 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Gateway Technical College is $7,756 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at Gateway Technical College

25

California State University - Long Beach came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 321 ’s criminal justice studies degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, CSULB also did well 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 $7,573 for criminal justice studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSULB.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice Studies at CSULB

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

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

26
27
28
Forsyth Tech crest
Forsyth Technical Community College
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
29
UNF crest
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
30
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
31
32
33
Savannah Tech crest
Savannah Technical College
Savannah, Georgia
34
35
36
North Georgia Technical College crest
North Georgia Technical College
Clarkesville, Georgia
37
38
39
Century College crest
Century College
White Bear Lake, Minnesota
40
Western Technical College crest
Western Technical College
La Crosse, Wisconsin
41
42
43
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
44
FTCC crest
Fayetteville Technical Community College
Fayetteville, North Carolina
45
46
47
48
Pitt Community College crest
Pitt Community College
Winterville, North Carolina
49
49
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Rank College Location
51 Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC
52 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
53 Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC
54 Middlesex Community College Bedford, MA
55 The University of Texas at Brownsville Brownsville, TX
56 New Mexico State University - Dona Ana Las Cruces, NM
57 Metropolitan Community College Omaha, NE
58 Pima Community College Tucson, AZ
59 Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC
60 College of Western Idaho Nampa, ID
61 Indiana University - Northwest Gary, IN
62 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
63 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
64 Iowa State University Ames, IA
65 Northeastern University Boston, MA
Rank College Location
66 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
66 Midlands Technical College West Columbia, SC
68 Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX
69 Rio Salado College Tempe, AZ

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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