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2023 Best Value Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $30-$48k) in California

42 Ranked Colleges
15,960 Degrees Awarded
$6,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 113,121 criminal justice and corrections students received their degree, making the major the 7th most popular in the country. 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.

Across California, there were 15,960 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,381 and $19,225 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 42 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

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

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

1
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 #1 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Huntington Beach, California, and it awarded 170 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Golden West College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Golden West College is $4,414 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Golden West College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 330 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Cal State LA also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $2,701 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at California State University - Los Angeles

3
SRJC crest
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Santa Rosa Junior College landed the #3 spot on the 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Santa Rosa Junior College is $5,800 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at SRJC

4
Mt. SAC crest
Mt. San Antonio College
Walnut, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Mt. San Antonio College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mt. SAC is a large public school situated in Walnut, California. It awarded 112 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Mt. SAC

5
College of the Sequoias crest
College of the Sequoias
Visalia, California

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, College of the Sequoias landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Visalia, California, this fairly large public school handed out 199 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at College of the Sequoias

6
SWC Chula Vista crest
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, California

Southwestern College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Southwestern College is a fairly large school located in Chula Vista, California that handed out 208 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SWC Chula Vista, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SWC Chula Vista is $4,606 for california criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southwestern College

7
Ventura College crest
Ventura College
Ventura, California

Ventura College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Ventura, California, and it awarded 206 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full Ventura College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

8
Fresno City College crest
Fresno City College
Fresno, California

Fresno City College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fresno City College is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 162 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno City College, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno City College is $3,014 for california criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Fresno City College

9

California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 295 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUDH has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $3,329 for california criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 CSUDH Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

10

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Stan State is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 193 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Stan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $4,903 for california criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Stan State

11
Sacramento City crest
Sacramento City College
Sacramento, California

Sacramento City College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sacramento City is a fairly large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 132 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

Sacramento City not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,648 for california criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sacramento City.

Full Sacramento City Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

12

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 365 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $5,821 for california criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at California State University - Fullerton

13
San Diego Miramar College crest
San Diego Miramar College
San Diego, California

San Diego Miramar College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego Miramar College is located in San Diego, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 123 ’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend San Diego Miramar College is $5,014 for california criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at San Diego Miramar College

14

California State University - Long Beach landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 321 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,573 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

15

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 266 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $6,613 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at California State University - San Bernardino

16

California State University - Sacramento came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s criminal justice degrees to 493 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,055 for california criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sac State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Sac State

17

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 189 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $6,046 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full CSUB Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

18
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #18, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 392 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,274 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SDSU.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full SDSU Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

19
Reedley College crest
Reedley College
Reedley, California

Reedley College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Reedley, California, and it awarded 90 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Reedley College is $6,936 for california criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Reedley College

20
East Los Angeles College crest
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park, California

East Los Angeles College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Monterey Park, California, this large public school awarded 738 degrees to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k list, East Los Angeles College has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for East Los Angeles College is $10,950 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at East Los Angeles College

21

California State University - East Bay came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 242 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $11,025 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Cal State East Bay

22
Antelope Valley College crest
Antelope Valley College
Lancaster, California

Antelope Valley College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Antelope Valley College is a fairly large public school situated in Lancaster, California. It awarded 140 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,465 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Antelope Valley College.

Full Antelope Valley College Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

23
West Hills College-Lemoore crest
West Hills College-Lemoore
Lemoore, California

West Hills College-Lemoore landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Lemoore, California, this small public school awarded 74 diplomas to qualified ’s criminal justice students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for West Hills College-Lemoore is $8,725 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full West Hills College-Lemoore Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

24
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 237 ’s criminal justice degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $13,378 for california criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend San Jose State.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at San Jose State University

25
El Camino College crest
El Camino College
Torrance, California

El Camino College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. El Camino College is a public institution located in Torrance, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 112 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend El Camino College is $10,645 for California Criminal Justice students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at El Camino College

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