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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $48-$75k)

214 Ranked Colleges
14,523 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

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 Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 33,568 people earned their degree in criminal justice, making the major the 32nd most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 14,523 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 214 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminal justice. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality criminal justice programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

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

More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $48-$75k)

Top 15% in overall quality

Out of the 214 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school handed out 424 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UT Rio Grande Valley also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $6,405 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UT Rio Grande Valley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 214 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #2 spot on the list. 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 1,193 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

John Jay also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $7,751 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend John Jay.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at John Jay

#3

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

Out of the 214 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Franklin University landed the #3 spot on the list. Franklin University is a medium-sized school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 20 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Franklin University is $11,869 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Franklin University

#4

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, this small public school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

The Citadel also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $15,483 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Citadel Military College of South Carolina

#5

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

Out of the 214 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Ferris State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Big Rapids, Michigan, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Ferris not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Ferris is $14,101 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Ferris

#6

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#4 in overall quality

University of Georgia landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Georgia is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 64 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $14,748 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UGA Criminal Justice Report

#7

St. Joseph's College - New York

Brooklyn, New York
Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, St. Joseph’s College - New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. SJC is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 51 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, SJC is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for SJC is $14,965 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full St. Joseph’s College - New York Criminal Justice Report

#8

Dalton State College

Dalton, Georgia

Dalton State College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dalton State College is located in Dalton, Georgia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend DSC is $8,052 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Dalton State College

#9

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Oakland is a fairly large public school situated in Rochester Hills, Michigan. It awarded 3 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $10,387 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Oakland

#13 in overall quality

University of Phoenix - Arizona landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UOPX - Arizona is a large private for-profit school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 742 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UOPX - Arizona also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $14,939 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UOPX - Arizona.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at University of Phoenix - Arizona

#11

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, this small public school awarded 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,302 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Mansfield University

#12

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. GVSU is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 165 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GVSU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $15,775 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 GVSU Criminal Justice Report

Top 20% in overall quality

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 1 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

IUPUI excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $12,314 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IUPUI.

Read more about Criminal Justice at IUPUI

#14

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts - Lowell ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UMass Lowell is a fairly large school located in Lowell, Massachusetts that handed out 209 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k list, UMass Lowell has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMass Lowell is $16,672 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive 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 at UMass Lowell

Southwest Minnesota State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Marshall, Minnesota, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,988 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southwest Minnesota State University.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Southwest Minnesota State University

#16

Monroe College

Bronx, New York
Top 20% in overall quality

Monroe College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bronx, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 197 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Monroe College is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Monroe College is $12,850 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Monroe College

Utah Valley University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Orem, Utah, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UVU is $9,755 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at Utah Valley University

#18

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Western Illinois University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 291 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $15,912 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Western Illinois University

#19

University of Phoenix - California

Costa Mesa, California
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Phoenix - California came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UOPX - California is a small private for-profit school situated in Costa Mesa, California. It awarded 122 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UOPX - California is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,618 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Phoenix - California.

Read more about Criminal Justice at University of Phoenix - California

#20

Nevada State College

Henderson, Nevada
Top 25% in overall quality

Nevada State College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Henderson, Nevada is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NSC is $14,347 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at NSC

University of Puerto Rico - Carolina landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Puerto Rico - Carolina is a public institution located in Carolina, . The school has a small population, and it awarded 120 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Puerto Rico - Carolina is $11,118 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice at University of Puerto Rico - Carolina

#22

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

Northeastern State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, this medium-sized public school awarded 105 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern State University is $11,683 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at NSU

West Virginia University Institute of Technology landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Beckley, West Virginia, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,764 for Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend West Virginia University Institute of Technology.

Read more about Criminal Justice at West Virginia University Tech

#24

Park University

Parkville, Missouri
Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Park University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Parkville, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 146 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Park University also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Park University is $17,144 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Park University

Missouri Southern State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Missouri Southern State University is located in Joplin, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Southern is $10,124 for bachelor’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Criminal Justice at Missouri Southern State University

Rest of the Best 34 in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 34 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

Indiana University - East

Richmond, Indiana
#28

University of Central Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri
#29

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona
#29

Wilmington University

New Castle, Delaware
#31

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith

Fort Smith, Arkansas
#32

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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