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2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k

580 Ranked Colleges
30,064 Degrees Awarded
$2,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 113,581 criminal justice and corrections students received their degree, making the major the 6th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, criminal justice and corrections graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,952 and had an average of $24,936 in loans still to pay off.

At the associate degree level specifically, there were 30,064 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,082 and $17,678 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 580 colleges that offered 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice & Corrections 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 an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Associate Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Golden West College

Huntington Beach, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Golden West College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Huntington Beach, California, and it awarded 120 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Golden West College also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Golden West College is $1,941 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Golden West College

#2

Nassau Community College

Garden City, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Nassau Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Nassau Community College is a fairly large school located in Garden City, New York that handed out 183 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Nassau Community College also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $2,007 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Nassau Community College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Nassau Community College

Out of the 580 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Suffolk County Community College landed the #3 spot on the list. Suffolk County Community College is a large school located in Selden, New York that handed out 227 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Suffolk County Community College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $2,632 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Suffolk County Community College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Suffolk County Community College

#4

Orange County Community College

Middletown, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Orange County Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Middletown, New York, and it awarded 73 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY Orange also took the #23 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Orange is $1,179 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Orange County Community College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#5

South Texas College

McAllen, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Texas College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in McAllen, Texas, and it awarded 383 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, South Texas College also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. It costs about $904 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend South Texas College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at South Texas College

#6

Moraine Valley Community College

Palos Hills, Illinois

Moraine Valley Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Palos Hills, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s criminal justice degrees to 51 students in 2019-2020.

MVCC 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 Moraine Valley Community College is $340 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Moraine Valley Community College

#7

Bronx Community College

Bronx, New York

Bronx Community College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bronx Community College is a public institution located in Bronx, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 202 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BCC also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Bronx Community College is $3,550 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Bronx Community College

Eastern Gateway Community College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Steubenville, Ohio, and it awarded 371 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Eastern Gateway Community College excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Gateway Community College is $2,845 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Eastern Gateway Community College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Hillsborough Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 123 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, HCC is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend HCC is $3,203 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full HCC Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#10

Ventura College

Ventura, California

Ventura College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ventura, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associates’s criminal justice degrees to 156 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Ventura College is $506 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Ventura College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#11

Erie Community College

Buffalo, New York

Erie Community College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Buffalo, New York, this medium-sized public school handed out 116 diplomas to qualified associates’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

Erie Community College excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Erie Community College is $3,146 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Erie Community College

#12

Queensborough Community College

Bayside, New York

Queensborough Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Queensborough Community College is located in Bayside, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 244 associates’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at QCC, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Queensborough Community College is $4,070 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full QCC Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#13

Oakland Community College

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #13, Oakland Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oakland Community College is a public institution located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 40 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Oakland Community College also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Oakland Community College is $-51 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

Full Oakland Community College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#14

St Petersburg College

Clearwater, Florida

With a ranking of #14, St Petersburg College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. SPC is located in Clearwater, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 associates’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend St Petersburg College is $1,454 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at SPC

With a ranking of #15, Borough of Manhattan Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 553 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

BMCC also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Borough of Manhattan Community College is $4,405 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at BMCC

#16

Kingsborough Community College

Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #16, Kingsborough Community College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. KCC is a fairly large public school situated in Brooklyn, New York. It awarded 207 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

KCC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend KCC is $4,369 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Kingsborough Community College

#17

Raritan Valley Community College

Branchburg, New Jersey

Raritan Valley Community College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Branchburg, New Jersey, this medium-sized public school handed out 76 degrees to qualified associates’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, RVCC also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Raritan Valley Community College is $5,065 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at RVCC

#18

Butte College

Oroville, California
#14 in overall quality

Butte College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Butte College is a public institution located in Oroville, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 132 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Butte College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Butte College is $4,057 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Butte College

#19

Middlesex Community College

Bedford, Massachusetts

Middlesex Community College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bedford, Massachusetts, this medium-sized public school handed out 57 degrees to qualified associates’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Middlesex Community College is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Middlesex Community College is $4,010 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Middlesex Community College

Austin Community College District ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 114 degrees to qualified associates’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Austin Community College District also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $3,134 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Austin Community College District.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Austin Community College District

#21

Santa Rosa Junior College

Santa Rosa, California

Santa Rosa Junior College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Santa Rosa Junior College is a fairly large school located in Santa Rosa, California that handed out 70 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

SRJC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $5,026 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SRJC.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at SRJC

#22

Los Medanos College

Pittsburg, California
#18 in overall quality

Los Medanos College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Medanos College is a public institution located in Pittsburg, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 67 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Los Medanos not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It costs about $4,220 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Los Medanos College.

Full Los Medanos Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#23

South Georgia Technical College

Americus, Georgia

South Georgia Technical College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Americus, Georgia, this small public school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified associates’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend South Georgia Technical College is $-1,377 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at South Georgia Technical College

#24

Cerritos College

Norwalk, California

Cerritos College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Cerritos College is a public institution located in Norwalk, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 90 associates’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,407 for Associate Degree Criminal Justice students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cerritos College.

Full Cerritos College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#25

Salt Lake Community College

Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake Community College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Salt Lake Community College is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 111 associates’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Salt Lake Community College also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Salt Lake Community College is $5,786 for associate degree criminal justice students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Salt Lake Community College

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k

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

#26

Santa Ana College

Santa Ana, California
#28

West Valley College

Saratoga, California
#29

Rockland Community College

Suffern, New York
#30

College of the Sequoias

Visalia, California
#31

LaGuardia Community College

Long Island City, New York
#32

El Paso Community College

El Paso, Texas
#33

Union County College

Cranford, New Jersey
#34

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, Florida
#35

Elgin Community College

Elgin, Illinois
#36

Grayson College

Denison, Texas
#37

Sacramento City College

Sacramento, California
#38

Henry Ford College

Dearborn, Michigan
#40

College of Southern Nevada

Las Vegas, Nevada
#42

Albany Technical College

Albany, Georgia
#43

Fresno City College

Fresno, California
#44

Moreno Valley College

Moreno Valley, California
#45

Citrus College

Glendora, California
#47

Valencia College

Orlando, Florida
#49

Camden County College

Blackwood, New Jersey
#50

College of the Canyons

Santa Clarita, California

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for an Associate For Those Making $0-$30k

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI
52 North Central State College Mansfield, OH
53 Collin County Community College District McKinney, TX
54 Schoolcraft College Livonia, MI
55 Rio Hondo College Whittier, CA
56 Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, MI
57 Allan Hancock College Santa Maria, CA
58 County College of Morris Randolph, NJ
59 Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL
60 Amarillo College Amarillo, TX
61 Hostos Community College Bronx, NY
62 Farmingdale State College Farmingdale, NY
63 William Rainey Harper College Palatine, IL
64 South Plains College Levelland, TX
65 Del Mar College Corpus Christi, TX
Rank College Location
66 Quinsigamond Community College Worcester, MA
67 Southeast Community College Area Lincoln, NE
68 Pima Community College Tucson, AZ
69 John Tyler Community College Chester, VA
70 Onondaga Community College Syracuse, NY
71 Delta College University Center, MI
72 Dutchess Community College Poughkeepsie, NY
73 Gateway Technical College Kenosha, WI
74 Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rome, GA
74 North Hennepin Community College Brooklyn Park, MN
76 Ogeechee Technical College Statesboro, GA
77 Mt. San Antonio College Walnut, CA
78 West Shore Community College Scottville, MI
79 SUNY Ulster Stone Ridge, NY
80 Massachusetts Bay Community College Wellesley Hills, MA
81 Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN
82 Redlands Community College El Reno, OK
83 Columbia-Greene Community College Hudson, NY
84 Monroe Community College Rochester, NY
85 Lone Star College System The Woodlands, TX
86 Northern Essex Community College Haverhill, MA
87 Lehigh Carbon Community College Schnecksville, PA
88 Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville, NC

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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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