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2023 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice (With Aid)

330 Ranked Colleges
32,891 Degrees Awarded
$5,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Criminal Justice is the 27th most popular major in the country with 32,891 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

For this year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 330 colleges that offer a degree in criminal justice. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent criminal justice programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the criminal justice program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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The criminal justice school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice (With Aid)

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid. John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,483 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at John Jay, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,699 for criminal justice students with aid per year to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hillsborough Community College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 123 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at HCC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,949 for Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend HCC.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at HCC

3
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indian River State College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Fort Pierce, Florida, and it awarded 44 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Indian River State College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Indian River State College is $3,786 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Indian River State College Criminal Justice Report

4
Golden West College crest
Golden West College
Huntington Beach, California

Out of the 330 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Golden West College landed the #4 spot on the list. Golden West College is located in Huntington Beach, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 159 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Golden West College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools” list. It costs about $4,024 for Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Golden West College.

Full Golden West College Criminal Justice Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 542 students in 2020-2021.

UT Rio Grande Valley excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools” list. It costs about $3,743 for criminal justice students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UT Rio Grande Valley Criminal Justice Report

6
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida

Valencia College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 172 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Valencia College is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,354 for criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Valencia College.

Full Valencia College Criminal Justice Report

7
Oakland Community College crest
Oakland Community College
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Oakland Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Oakland Community College is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland Community College is $3,665 for criminal justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Oakland Community College

8
SWC Chula Vista crest
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, California

Southwestern College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Southwestern College is located in Chula Vista, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 184 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

SWC Chula Vista excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools” list. It costs about $4,877 for criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Southwestern College.

Full Southwestern College Criminal Justice Report

9
Fresno City College crest
Fresno City College
Fresno, California

Fresno City College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Fresno City College is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 151 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Fresno City College also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno City College is $2,584 for criminal justice students with aid.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Fresno City College

10
Palm Beach State College crest
Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, Florida

Palm Beach State College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Palm Beach State College is a large school located in Lake Worth, Florida that handed out 19 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,481 for Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Palm Beach State College.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Palm Beach State College

11
Erie Community College crest
Erie Community College
Buffalo, New York

Erie Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Erie Community College is located in Buffalo, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, Erie Community College is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $4,575 for Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Erie Community College.

Full Erie Community College Criminal Justice Report

12

Florida State College at Jacksonville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this large public school handed out 47 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,129 for criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Florida State College at Jacksonville.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Florida State College at Jacksonville

13
College of the Sequoias crest
College of the Sequoias
Visalia, California

College of the Sequoias did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. This fairly large school is located in Visalia, California, and it awarded 122 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for College of the Sequoias is $1,222 for criminal justice students with aid.

Full College of the Sequoias Criminal Justice Report

14

University of Phoenix - Arizona ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Phoenix - Arizona is a private for-profit institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 976 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UOPX - Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Phoenix - Arizona is $13,038 for criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at UOPX - Arizona

15
Moreno Valley College crest
Moreno Valley College
Moreno Valley, California

Moreno Valley College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Moreno Valley College is a public institution located in Moreno Valley, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 82 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Moreno Valley College excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Moreno Valley College is $5,818 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Moreno Valley College Criminal Justice Report

16
SRJC crest
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California

With a ranking of #16, Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Santa Rosa, California, this fairly large public school handed out 73 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our criminal justice students with aid list, SRJC has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Santa Rosa Junior College is $6,585 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full SRJC Criminal Justice Report

17
MDC crest
Miami Dade College
Miami, Florida

With a ranking of #17, Miami Dade College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Miami Dade College is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend MDC is $4,870 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Miami Dade College

18
SUNY Orange crest
Orange County Community College
Middletown, New York

Orange County Community College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. SUNY Orange is a medium-sized school located in Middletown, New York that handed out 24 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,607 for Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Orange County Community College.

Full Orange County Community College Criminal Justice Report

19
SPC crest
St Petersburg College
Clearwater, Florida

St Petersburg College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. SPC is located in Clearwater, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $2,668 for Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend St Petersburg College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at St Petersburg College

19
Nassau Community College crest
Nassau Community College
Garden City, New York

Nassau Community College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Nassau Community College is located in Garden City, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 171 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Nassau Community College is $4,932 for criminal justice students with aid.

Full Nassau Community College Criminal Justice Report

21

With a ranking of #21, Northern Virginia Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Northern Virginia Community College is a large school located in Annandale, Virginia that handed out 50 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Northern Virginia Community College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Criminal Justice Schools” list. It costs about $9,452 for Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Northern Virginia Community College.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Northern Virginia Community College

22
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Walnut, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 112 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Mt. SAC is $3,144 for Criminal Justice students with aid.

Full Mt. SAC Criminal Justice Report

23

Delaware Technical Community College - Terry ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Delaware Tech is located in Dover, Delaware and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Delaware Tech is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $8,479 for Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Delaware Tech.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Delaware Technical Community College - Terry

24

Texas A&M International University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Laredo, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 35 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M International University is $3,908 for criminal justice students with aid.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Texas A&M International University

25
RVCC crest
Raritan Valley Community College
Branchburg, New Jersey

Raritan Valley Community College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Raritan Valley Community College is located in Branchburg, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Raritan Valley Community College is $6,127 for criminal justice students with aid.

Full Raritan Valley Community College Criminal Justice Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Getting Aid

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

26
Henry Ford College crest
Henry Ford College
Dearborn, Michigan
27
Monroe Community College crest
Monroe Community College
Rochester, New York
28
Macomb Community College crest
Macomb Community College
Warren, Michigan
29
Amarillo College crest
Amarillo College
Amarillo, Texas
30
31
Sacramento City crest
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, California
32
Ventura College crest
Ventura College
Ventura, California
33
SAC crest
Santa Ana College
Santa Ana, California
34
35
Hostos crest
Hostos Community College
Bronx, New York
36
37
BCC crest
Bronx Community College
Bronx, New York
38
39
Riverside City College crest
Riverside City College
Riverside, California
40
San Diego Miramar College crest
San Diego Miramar College
San Diego, California
41
SWIC crest
Southwestern Illinois College
Belleville, Illinois
42
43
44
East Los Angeles College crest
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park, California
45
South Plains College crest
South Plains College
Levelland, Texas
46
47
FGC crest
Florida Gateway College
Lake City, Florida
48
Stark State College crest
Stark State College
North Canton, Ohio
49
Union County College crest
Union County College
Cranford, New Jersey
50

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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