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2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

839 Ranked Colleges
113,121 Degrees Awarded
$4,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Criminal Justice & Corrections is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 7th of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 113,121 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 839 colleges that offered a degree in criminal justice and corrections. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great criminal justice and corrections programs and 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 and corrections program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Criminal Justice Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $30-$48k)

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 23 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It costs about $4,777 for criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UChicago.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full UChicago Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. John Jay is located in New York, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,933 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

John Jay also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $2,802 for criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k 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 more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at John Jay

3

Out of the 839 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, South Georgia Technical College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Americus, Georgia, this small public school handed out 190 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, South Georgia Technical College is in the top 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 estimated yearly cost for South Georgia Technical College is $1,374 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full South Georgia Technical College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

4
Golden West College crest
Golden West College
Huntington Beach, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Golden West College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Golden West College is a public institution located in Huntington Beach, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 170 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k list, Golden West College has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,414 for criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Golden West College.

Full Golden West College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Gateway Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Eastern Gateway Community College is a large school located in Steubenville, Ohio that handed out 572 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Eastern Gateway Community College is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $2,149 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Eastern Gateway Community College.

Full Eastern Gateway Community College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

6

Hillsborough Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Hillsborough Community College is a fairly large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 368 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, HCC also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It costs about $6,712 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend HCC.

Full Hillsborough Community College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

7

With a ranking of #7, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 544 students 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 ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Rio Grande Valley is $2,912 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

8
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #8, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 646 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $7,349 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Florida State University

9
Indian River State College crest
Indian River State College
Fort Pierce, Florida

Indian River State College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Indian River State College is a public institution located in Fort Pierce, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 184 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Indian River State College is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $3,595 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indian River State College.

Full Indian River State College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

10
South Texas College crest
South Texas College
McAllen, Texas

With a ranking of #10, South Texas College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in McAllen, Texas, and it awarded 358 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,783 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend South Texas College.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at South Texas College

11

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 330 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Cal State LA is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,701 for criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Cal State LA

12
SRJC crest
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California

Santa Rosa Junior College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Rosa, California, and it awarded 173 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

SRJC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It costs about $5,800 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Santa Rosa Junior College.

Full SRJC Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

13
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #13, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 115 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice 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. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $7,061 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 IU Bloomington

14
El Centro College crest
El Centro College
Dallas, Texas

El Centro College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Dallas, Texas, this large public school awarded 324 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice 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 $4,619 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend El Centro College.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at El Centro College

15
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

Mt. San Antonio College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Walnut, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 112 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Mt. San Antonio College is $3,035 for criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Mt. SAC Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

16
CSN crest
College of Southern Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada

College of Southern Nevada did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. CSN is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 221 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, CSN 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. The estimated yearly cost for College of Southern Nevada is $6,874 for criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at College of Southern Nevada

17
College of the Sequoias crest
College of the Sequoias
Visalia, California

With a ranking of #17, College of the Sequoias did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. College of the Sequoias is a fairly large public school situated in Visalia, California. It awarded 199 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend College of the Sequoias is $1,289 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full College of the Sequoias Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

18
SWC Chula Vista crest
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, California

With a ranking of #18, Southwestern College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southwestern College is a public institution located in Chula Vista, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 208 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, SWC Chula Vista also did well on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for SWC Chula Vista is $4,606 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southwestern College

19
Valencia College crest
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida

With a ranking of #19, Valencia College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Orlando, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 373 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Valencia College also did well 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 Valencia College is $5,637 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Valencia College

20
Oakland Community College crest
Oakland Community College
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Oakland Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Oakland Community College is a public institution located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 124 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland Community College is $2,762 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

21
Ventura College crest
Ventura College
Ventura, California

Ventura College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ventura College is a public institution located in Ventura, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 206 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Ventura College is $1,269 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Ventura College

22

University of Central Florida ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCF is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 646 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCF, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Central Florida is $6,256 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCF Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

23

Texas A&M International University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Laredo, Texas, and it awarded 224 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,620 for criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas A&M International University.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Texas A&M International University

24

Florida International University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 643 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

FIU 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. It costs about $4,882 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida International University.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at FIU

25
Fresno City College crest
Fresno City College
Fresno, California

Fresno City College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fresno City College is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 162 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Fresno City College excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Fresno City College is $3,014 for Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Fresno City College

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

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

26
CGTC crest
Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins, Georgia
27
Palm Beach State College crest
Palm Beach State College
Lake Worth, Florida
28
29
30
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Moraine Valley Community College
Palos Hills, Illinois
31
SUNY Orange crest
Orange County Community College
Middletown, New York
32
American Military University crest
American Public University System
Charles Town, West Virginia
33
34
35
Albany Technical College crest
Albany Technical College
Albany, Georgia
36
37
Washtenaw Community College crest
Washtenaw Community College
Ann Arbor, Michigan
38
Erie Community College crest
Erie Community College
Buffalo, New York
39
Middlesex County College crest
Middlesex County College
Edison, New Jersey
40
Sacramento City crest
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, California
40
42
Ivy Tech Community College crest
Ivy Tech Community College
Indianapolis, Indiana
43
44
Nassau Community College crest
Nassau Community College
Garden City, New York
45
46
College of Southern Idaho crest
College of Southern Idaho
Twin Falls, Idaho
47
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St Petersburg College
Clearwater, Florida
48
49
50
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College of the Mainland
Texas City, Texas

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Rank College Location
51 Gateway Technical College Kenosha, WI
52 San Diego Miramar College San Diego, CA
53 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
54 McLennan Community College Waco, TX
55 Miami Dade College Miami, FL
56 California State University - San Bernardino San Bernardino, CA
57 Forsyth Technical Community College Winston-Salem, NC
58 Camden County College Blackwood, NJ
59 Lewis and Clark Community College Godfrey, IL
60 Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg, NJ
61 University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL
62 Lansing Community College Lansing, MI
63 University of Houston - Downtown Houston, TX
64 Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA
65 Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL
Rank College Location
65 Savannah Technical College Savannah, GA
67 Henry Ford College Dearborn, MI
68 El Paso Community College El Paso, TX
69 Queensborough Community College Bayside, NY
70 California State University - Sacramento Sacramento, CA
71 Amarillo College Amarillo, TX
72 North Georgia Technical College Clarkesville, GA
73 Suffolk County Community College Selden, NY
74 Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI
75 Monroe Community College Rochester, NY
76 Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI
77 California State University - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA
78 Delaware Technical Community College - Terry Dover, DE
79 Century College White Bear Lake, MN
80 Western Technical College La Crosse, WI
81 Stark State College North Canton, OH
82 Chemeketa Community College Salem, OR
83 University of Nevada - Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV
84 San Diego State University San Diego, CA
85 Fayetteville Technical Community College Fayetteville, NC
86 Southern Crescent Technical College Griffin, GA
87 Madison Area Technical College Madison, WI
88 Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX
89 University of Georgia Athens, GA
90 Cuyahoga Community College District Cleveland, OH
Rank College Location
91 Housatonic Community College Bridgeport, CT
92 University of Phoenix - Arizona Tempe, AZ
92 University of North Texas Denton, TX
94 Pitt Community College Winterville, NC
95 Eastern Florida State College Cocoa, FL
96 Boston University Boston, MA
96 The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX
98 Reedley College Reedley, CA
99 Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC
100 Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY
101 Hostos Community College Bronx, NY
101 Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC
103 Middlesex Community College Bedford, MA
103 Walters State Community College Morristown, TN
105 The University of Texas at Brownsville Brownsville, TX
106 Kingsborough Community College Brooklyn, NY
107 New Mexico State University - Dona Ana Las Cruces, NM
108 Metropolitan Community College Omaha, NE
109 Pima Community College Tucson, AZ
110 Fayetteville State University Fayetteville, NC
111 College of Western Idaho Nampa, ID
112 Indiana University - Northwest Gary, IN
113 Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI
114 South University, Savannah Savannah, GA
115 Minnesota State University - Mankato Mankato, MN
Rank College Location
116 Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL
117 Iowa State University Ames, IA
118 Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY
119 Northeastern University Boston, MA
120 East Los Angeles College Monterey Park, CA
121 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
122 Seminole State College of Florida Sanford, FL
123 Bronx Community College Bronx, NY
124 Midlands Technical College West Columbia, SC
124 University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL
126 Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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