2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (With Aid)
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Criminal Justice is the 32nd most popular major in the country with 33,568 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 2,574 criminal justice graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 115 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminal justice. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great criminal justice programs and cost less that 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Featured schools near , edit
More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice Schools
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 Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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 Master’s For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree criminal justice students with aid.
Top 26 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. John Jay is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 131 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at John Jay, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at John Jay are $20,962, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A & M University - Central Texas. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. Texas A & M University - Central Texas is a public institution located in Killeen, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A & M University - Central Texas are $13,561.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Texas A & M University - Central Texas
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M International University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized school located in Laredo, Texas that handed out 23 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M International University are $15,106, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Texas A&M International University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley are $15,151, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at UT Rio Grande Valley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Franklin University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. Franklin University is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Franklin University are $16,080, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 32 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of South Florida - Main Campus are $21,126, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. University of Phoenix - Arizona is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 148 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UOPX - Arizona, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Phoenix - Arizona are $17,096, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #8, Monroe College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Monroe College is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 33 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Monroe College are $17,170, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Sam Houston State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Huntsville, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our master’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, SHSU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at SHSU are $15,704.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University
Northeastern State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and it awarded 19 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern State University are $10,600.
University of Massachusetts - Lowell came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Massachusetts - Lowell is located in Lowell, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 97 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
UMass Lowell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMass Lowell are $26,990, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Ferris State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Big Rapids, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 24 degrees to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Ferris are $7,908, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #13, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 20 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at IUPUI are $26,013, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
Colorado State University - Global Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Colorado State University - Global Campus is a fairly large school located in Greenwood Village, Colorado that handed out 33 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Colorado State University - Global Campus are $9,000.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Colorado State University - Global Campus
Arizona State University - Skysong landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Scottsdale, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 200 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Skysong, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at ASU - Skysong are $6,724.
Saint Cloud State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, and it awarded 4 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at St. Cloud State University are $12,904, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Michigan State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 12 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State are $37,056, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of the Cumberlands ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Cumberlands is located in Williamsburg, Kentucky and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Cumberlands did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cumberlands are $4,582.
Miami University - Middletown did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Miami University - Middletown is a small school located in Middletown, Ohio that handed out 1 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Miami University - Middletown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #0 on our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Miami University - Middletown are $16,484, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Miami University - Middletown
Concordia University, Saint Paul did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Concordia University, Saint Paul is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 21 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Concordia University, Saint Paul are $8,550, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Concordia University, Saint Paul
With a ranking of #20, Middle Tennessee State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Middle Tennessee State University is a large public school situated in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It awarded 13 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Middle Tennessee State University are $26,172, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Criminal Justice at Middle Tennessee State University
Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. WIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 49 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at WIU are $11,996.
Wilmington University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in New Castle, Delaware, and it awarded 23 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Wilmington University are $8,834, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Texas State is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 17 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas State University are $17,040, but some majors have different tuition rates.
With a ranking of #24, University of North Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of North Georgia is a fairly large public school situated in Dahlonega, Georgia. It awarded 7 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UNG are $18,354, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Criminal Justice at University of North Georgia
With a ranking of #25, George Mason University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. George Mason University is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at GMU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at GMU are $37,410, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Rocky Mountains Region (With Aid)
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Middle Atlantic Region (With Aid)
Southwest
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Southwest Region (With Aid)
New England
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the New England Region (With Aid)
Plains States
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Plains States Region (With Aid)
Far Western US
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)
Great Lakes
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
Criminal Justice and Corrections, General
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice and Corrections, General (With Aid)
Criminal Justice Studies
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice Studies (With Aid)
Security & Loss Prevention Services
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Security & Loss Prevention Services (With Aid)
Securities Services Administration/Management
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Securities Services Administration/Management (With Aid)
Law Enforcement Investigation & Interviewing
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Law Enforcement Investigation & Interviewing (With Aid)
Corrections
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Corrections (With Aid)
Criminal Justice & Police Science
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Police Science (With Aid)
Juvenile Corrections
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Juvenile Corrections (With Aid)
Corrections Administration
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Corrections Administration (With Aid)
Other Corrections & Criminal Justice
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Other Corrections & Criminal Justice (With Aid)
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Criminal Justice Master's Degree Schools
Criminal Justice students
Most Focused Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice students
Most Popular Master's Degree Online Criminal Justice Schools
Criminal Justice students
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $0-$30k)
Criminal Justice students with family income less than $30k
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $48-$75k)
Criminal Justice students with family income $48-$75k
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income Over $110k)
Criminal Justice students with family income exceeding $110k
Highest Paid Master's Degree Criminal Justice Graduates
Criminal Justice students
Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice students
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (With Aid)
Criminal Justice students getting aid
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $30-$48k)
Criminal Justice students with family income $30-$48k
Best Value Master's Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice (Income $75-$110k)
Criminal Justice students with family income $75-$110k
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.
Featured Criminal Justice Administration Schools
Request Info |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |