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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

26 Ranked Colleges
961 Degrees Awarded
$16,200 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

With 113,581 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, criminal justice and corrections is the 6th most popular major in the United States. 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.

Across the Southwest region, there were 16,347 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,942 and $25,383 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 961 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,078 and $37,227 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 26 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in criminal justice and corrections. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality criminal justice and corrections programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The criminal justice school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 26 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UT Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

UT Rio Grande Valley also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #16. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley are $15,151, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

#17 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M International University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texas A&M International University is a medium-sized public school situated in Laredo, Texas. It awarded 23 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M International University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M International University are $15,106, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Texas A&M International University

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Texas landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Denton, Texas, this large public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

UNT also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11. Average graduate tuition and fees at UNT are $15,618, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at UNT

#21 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas at Dallas. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This small school is located in Dallas, Texas, and it awarded 9 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNT Dallas has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Texas at Dallas are $13,681, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of North Texas at Dallas Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 17 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UTSA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at San Antonio are $25,807.

Full UTSA Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, The University of Texas at Tyler did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Tyler, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Tyler has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Tyler are $16,308, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UT Tyler Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#7

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

With a ranking of #7, Lamar University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Beaumont, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 86 degrees to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

Lamar University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Lamar University are $15,699, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Lamar University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#8

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

With a ranking of #8, Northeastern State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. NSU is a medium-sized public school situated in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It awarded 19 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k list, NSU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern State University are $10,600.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at NSU

#9

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Sam Houston State University is a large school located in Huntsville, Texas that handed out 116 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k list, SHSU has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at SHSU are $15,704.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Sam Houston State University

#10

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas
#22 in overall quality

MSU Texas landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wichita Falls, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

MSU Texas also took the #22 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at MSU Texas are $7,935, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at MSU Texas

University of Houston - Downtown did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Houston, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 39 degrees to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k list, UH Downtown has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UH Downtown are $15,739, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at UH Downtown

#11

Arizona State University - Skysong

Scottsdale, Arizona

Arizona State University - Skysong came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Scottsdale, Arizona, and it awarded 200 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

ASU - Skysong did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at ASU - Skysong are $6,724, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Arizona State University - Skysong

#12

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#6 in overall quality

Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in San Marcos, Texas, this large public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k list, Texas State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas State University are $17,040, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Texas State

University of Phoenix - Arizona came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Phoenix - Arizona is a private for-profit institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 148 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UOPX - Arizona, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Phoenix - Arizona are $17,096.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Phoenix - Arizona

With a ranking of #14, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and it awarded 16 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

NMSU Main Campus also took the #23 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at NMSU Main Campus are $18,275, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

#15

Angelo State University

San Angelo, Texas
#18 in overall quality

Angelo State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Angelo State University is a fairly large school located in San Angelo, Texas that handed out 5 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Angelo State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Angelo State are $14,396.

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

The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Arlington, Texas, and it awarded 29 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #10. Average graduate tuition and fees at UT Arlington are $23,376, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at The University of Texas at Arlington

#17

West Texas A&M University

Canyon, Texas

West Texas A&M University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Canyon, Texas, and it awarded 2 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at West Texas A&M University, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at West Texas A&M University are $8,013.

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

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Central Oklahoma did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCO is a public institution located in Edmond, Oklahoma. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCO, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Central Oklahoma are $17,913, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at UCO

#19

Prairie View A & M University

Prairie View, Texas

Prairie View A & M University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Prairie View, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

PVAMU also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #0. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Prairie View A & M University are $17,071.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at PVAMU

#20

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas

With a ranking of #20, Tarleton State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Stephenville, Texas, and it awarded 32 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k list, Tarleton has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Tarleton are $15,485, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Tarleton Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#21

University of the Southwest

Hobbs, New Mexico
#25 in overall quality

University of the Southwest ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of the Southwest is a small school located in Hobbs, New Mexico that handed out 3 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree criminal justice students whose families make $30-$48k list, USW has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of the Southwest are $22,500, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of the Southwest

#22

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, Arizona

With a ranking of #22, Grand Canyon University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Phoenix, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 93 students in 2019-2020.

Grand Canyon University also took the #7 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Grand Canyon University are $11,436.

Full Grand Canyon University Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

With a ranking of #23, Hardin - Simmons University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Hardin - Simmons is located in Abilene, Texas and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Hardin - Simmons, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Hardin - Simmons are $14,320, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Hardin - Simmons Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#24

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas

With a ranking of #24, Texas Christian University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. TCU is a fairly large school located in Fort Worth, Texas that handed out 13 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

TCU also made our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at TCU are $32,268, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at TCU

#25

Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, Texas
#8 in overall quality

Wayland Baptist University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wayland Baptist University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Plainview, Texas. It awarded 15 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Wayland Baptist University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Wayland Baptist University are $14,710.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Wayland Baptist University

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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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