2023 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $0-$30k)
860
Ranked Colleges
113,121
Degrees Awarded
$3,500
Avg Net Price*
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 Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
With 113,121 degrees handed out in 2020-2021, criminal justice and corrections is the 7th most popular major in the United States. In 2019-2020, criminal justice and corrections graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,465 and had an average of $25,425 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 860 colleges that offer a degree in criminal justice and corrections. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent criminal justice and corrections 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 and corrections program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice & Corrections 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 Those Making $0-$30k” 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 23 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $2,500 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UChicago.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Chicago
Out of the 860 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, John Jay College of Criminal Justice landed the #2 spot on the list. John Jay is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,933 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
John Jay also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $788 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend John Jay.
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 full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at John Jay
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Georgia Technical College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Americus, Georgia, this small public school awarded 190 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, South Georgia Technical College also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend South Georgia Technical College is $340 for criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at South Georgia Technical College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Golden West College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Golden West College is a fairly large school located in Huntington Beach, California that handed out 170 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Golden West College also took the #19 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Golden West College is $3,094 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Golden West College
Out of the 860 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Gateway Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. Eastern Gateway Community College is a public institution located in Steubenville, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 572 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Eastern Gateway Community College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Gateway Community College is $2,324 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Eastern Gateway Community College
Florida State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 646 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Florida State also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $4,950 for criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Florida State
Hillsborough Community College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hillsborough Community College is a fairly large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 368 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, HCC is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for HCC is $2,919 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Hillsborough Community College
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a public institution located in Edinburg, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 544 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, UT Rio Grande Valley is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $2,191 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.
Full UT Rio Grande Valley Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 115 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,752 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Indiana University - Bloomington
South Texas College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. South Texas College is a large school located in McAllen, Texas that handed out 358 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend South Texas College is $1,200 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at South Texas College
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 330 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Cal State LA is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $1,887 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal State LA Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
With a ranking of #12, University of Central Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Central Florida is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 646 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
UCF also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $4,468 for criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Central Florida.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, 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 92%.
Full UCF Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Indian River State College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indian River State College is located in Fort Pierce, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 184 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
Indian River State College excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indian River State College is $2,686 for criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Indian River State College
With a ranking of #14, Santa Rosa Junior College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Santa Rosa, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 173 students in 2020-2021.
SRJC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend SRJC is $5,728 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Santa Rosa Junior College
Florida International University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 643 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, FIU is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $3,196 for criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at FIU
College of Southern Nevada landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. College of Southern Nevada is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 221 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, CSN also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend College of Southern Nevada is $6,140 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at CSN
El Centro College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Dallas, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 324 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, El Centro College is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $3,791 for criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend El Centro College.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at El Centro College
Southwestern College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SWC Chula Vista is located in Chula Vista, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 208 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
SWC Chula Vista excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for SWC Chula Vista is $4,197 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southwestern College
With a ranking of #19, Oakland Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland Community College is located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 124 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland Community College is $1,464 for criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Oakland Community College
Michigan State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 180 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,927 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Michigan State
Orange County Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Middletown, New York, and it awarded 50 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Orange County Community College is $1,105 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Orange County Community College
American Public University System landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. American Public University System is located in Charles Town, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 912 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.
American Military University also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend American Military University is $9,660 for criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.
Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at American Military University
With a ranking of #23, Mt. San Antonio College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Walnut, California, this large public school handed out 112 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Mt. San Antonio College is $2,412 for criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Mt. San Antonio College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
Fresno City College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno City College is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 162 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Fresno City College is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It costs about $2,556 for criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno City College.
Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Fresno City College
Valencia College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Valencia College is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 373 ’s degrees 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 & Corrections Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It costs about $4,942 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Valencia College.
Full Valencia College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report
