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2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

251 Ranked Colleges
6,653 Degrees Awarded
$18,200 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master's For Those Getting Aid

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 a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 6,653 criminal justice and corrections graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 251 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the criminal justice and corrections program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools

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 For Those Getting Aid”.

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. 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 a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 26 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Criminal Justice & Corrections (With Aid)

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend John Jay College of Criminal Justice. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. John Jay College of Criminal Justice is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 208 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at John Jay, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at John Jay are $20,962, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at John Jay

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A & M University - Central Texas. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. This small school is located in Killeen, Texas, and it awarded 7 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A & M University - Central Texas are $13,561.

Full Texas A & M University - Central Texas Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

Out of the 251 schools in the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M International University landed the #3 spot on the list. Texas A&M International University is a public institution located in Laredo, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 23 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M International University are $15,106, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 11 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley are $15,151.

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

Top 20% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CSULB is also in the top of our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at CSULB are $17,784, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at CSULB

#6

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia

American Public University System did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. American Military University is a large school located in Charles Town, West Virginia that handed out 121 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

American Military University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at American Public University System are $7,050.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at American Public University System

University of North Texas at Dallas came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of North Texas at Dallas is a small public school situated in Dallas, Texas. It awarded 9 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

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.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of North Texas at Dallas

#8

Franklin University

Columbus, Ohio

Franklin University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Franklin University is a medium-sized school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 13 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Franklin University are $16,080, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Franklin University

University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. University of Central Florida is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 88 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

UCF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCF are $28,657, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Central Florida

#10

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. The University of West Florida is a public institution located in Pensacola, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of West Florida are $24,894.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at UWF

Florida International University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at FIU are $24,211, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Florida International University

#12

Columbus State University

Columbus, Georgia

With a ranking of #12, Columbus State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Columbus State University is a medium-sized school located in Columbus, Georgia that handed out 58 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

CSU excels when it comes to criminal justice quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at CSU are $13,264, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at USF Tampa are $21,126, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#14

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 89 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Florida State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State are $26,707.

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

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stan State are $18,540.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Stan State

#16

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 39 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UW - Platteville is in the top on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Platteville are $18,226, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UW - Platteville Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#17

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 9 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - San Bernardino are $17,936, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at CSUSB

#18

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Governors State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. GSU is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at GSU are $14,674, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

University of Phoenix - Arizona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out masters’s criminal justice degrees to 148 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree criminal justice students with aid list, UOPX - Arizona has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UOPX - Arizona are $17,096, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Phoenix - Arizona Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

With a ranking of #20, University of Houston - Downtown did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. UH Downtown is a fairly large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 39 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UH Downtown are $15,739, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at University of Houston - Downtown

Top 25% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 masters’s criminal justice degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Chicago are $27,036, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Criminal Justice & Corrections Report

#22

Monroe College

Bronx, New York

Monroe College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Monroe College is a medium-sized private for-profit school situated in Bronx, New York. It awarded 33 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Monroe College are $17,170, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Monroe College

#23

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Huntsville, Texas, and it awarded 116 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

SHSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Sam Houston State University are $15,704, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#24

McNeese State University

Lake Charles, Louisiana

McNeese State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and it awarded 26 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at McNeese are $16,386.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at McNeese State University

#25

Lamar University

Beaumont, Texas

Lamar University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Lamar University is a fairly large school located in Beaumont, Texas that handed out 86 masters’s criminal justice degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Lamar University are $15,699, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Criminal Justice & Corrections at Lamar University

#25

Rhode Island College

Providence, Rhode Island

With a ranking of #25, Rhode Island College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this medium-sized public school awarded 3 degrees to qualified masters’s criminal justice students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Rhode Island College are $16,884, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at RIC

Rest of the Best 37 in Best Value Criminal Justice Schools for a Master’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 37 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida
#28

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma
#29

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida
#30

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts
#31

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas
#33

Ferris State University

Big Rapids, Michigan
#34

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina
#37

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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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