2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 33,568 people earned their degree in criminal justice, making the major the 32nd most popular in the United States.
Across the Plains States region, there were 1,698 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,002 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 20 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the criminal justice program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid.
Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Central Missouri. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. UCM is a medium-sized school located in Warrensburg, Missouri that handed out 130 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
UCM also took the #5 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,677 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend UCM.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at University of Central Missouri
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri Southern State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Missouri Southern 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.
Missouri Southern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $9,625 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Missouri Southern.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Central Christian College of Kansas. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. McPherson, Kansas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, Central Christian College has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Central Christian College of Kansas is $14,386 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Central Christian College of Kansas
Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Park University landed the #4 spot on the list. Park University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Parkville, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Park University also took the #2 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,579 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Park University.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southwest Minnesota State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Marshall, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, Southwest Minnesota State University has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southwest Minnesota State University is $14,397 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
Full Southwest Minnesota State University Criminal Justice Report
With a ranking of #6, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.
UMKC also took the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Kansas City is $14,643 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
Lincoln University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lincoln University is a small public school situated in Jefferson City, Missouri. It awarded 25 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at LU Missouri, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for LU Missouri is $7,830 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
Waldorf University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Waldorf is a private for-profit institution located in Forest City, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Waldorf not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Waldorf University is $20,036 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
Washburn University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Topeka, Kansas, this medium-sized public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Washburn University, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washburn University is $14,481 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
With a ranking of #10, Southwest Baptist University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Southwest Baptist University is a small school located in Bolivar, Missouri that handed out 7 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Southwest Baptist University also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $17,682 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Southwest Baptist University.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Southwest Baptist University
Culver - Stockton College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Culver - Stockton College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Canton, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Culver - Stockton also took the #12 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $20,919 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend Culver - Stockton College.
With a ranking of #12, Rockhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Rockhurst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Kansas City, Missouri. It awarded 7 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, Rockhurst has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rockhurst is $21,116 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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 88%.
Hannibal - LaGrange University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Hannibal, Missouri, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
HLGU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend HLGU is $20,256 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Grantham University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Grantham University is a medium-sized school located in Lenexa, Kansas that handed out 117 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Grantham University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grantham University is $8,409 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
Evangel University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Evangel is a small school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 6 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Evangel did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Evangel University is $22,837 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Columbia College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Columbia College Missouri is a medium-sized school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 145 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Columbia College Missouri also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College is $26,730 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
Mount Mercy University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Mount Mercy University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Mount Mercy not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Mount Mercy is $20,857 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #18, Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Fayette, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, CMU CLAS has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CMU CLAS is $21,082 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. CMU CGES is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Fayette, Missouri. It awarded 15 bachelors’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
CMU CGES did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,196 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Criminal Justice students with aid per year to attend CMU CGES.
Full Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies Criminal Justice Report
Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s criminal justice degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.
Drury University - CCPS also made our “Best Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $13,233 for plains states region bachelor’s degree criminal justice students with aid per year to attend Drury University - College of Continuing Professional Studies.
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Corrections in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
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Best Criminal Justice Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice students in the Plains States Region
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice students in the Plains States Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Criminal Justice Schools
Criminal Justice students in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice students with family income less than $30k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice students with family income $48-$75k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income Over $110k) in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice students with family income exceeding $110k in the Plains States Region
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Criminal Justice Graduates in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice students in the Plains States Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice students in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
Criminal Justice students getting aid in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice students with family income $30-$48k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice students with family income $75-$110k in the Plains States Region
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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