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2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

998 Colleges
$5,372 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$35,465 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections School for You

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 and certificates were awarded to students with this major.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 998 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best value experiences for criminal justice students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in the United States

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for criminal justice majors pursuing a .

Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in Criminal Justice & Corrections

$3,780 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Southeast Community College Area the best value school in the United States for criminal justice and corrections students. Southeast Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Lincoln.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Southeast Community College are $3,780 a year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Southeast Community College carry an average student debtload of $14,578.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southeast Community College Area

#2

Columbia Southern University

Orange Beach, AL

Out of the 998 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia Southern University landed the # 2 spot on the list. Columbia Southern University is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the town of Orange Beach.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Columbia Southern University are $5,775 a year. While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at Columbia Southern University accumulate an average of around $24,746 in student debt.

Columbia Southern University also claimed a spot on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Columbia Southern University Report

#3

Camden County College

Blackwood, NJ
$3,744 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 998 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Camden County College landed the # 3 spot on the list. Camden County College is a medium-sized public school located in the large suburb of Blackwood.

Camden County College undergraduate students pay an average of $3,744 in tuition and fees each year. Criminal Justice majors at Camden County College take out an average of $13,050 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Camden County College Report

$5,010 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Northeast Community College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best criminal justice and corrections schools in the United States. Located in the remote town of Norfolk, Northeast is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Northeast undergraduate students pay an average of $5,010 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Northeast carry an average student debtload of $11,079.

Read More…

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Alexandria Technical & Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. Located in the town of Alexandria, ATCC is a public college with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at ATCC are $5,910 a year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at ATCC take out is $15,750.

In addition to its great value ranking, ATCC is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Alexandria Technical & Community College Report

#6

North Hennepin Community College

Brooklyn Park, MN

North Hennepin Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools ranking. Located in the suburb of Brooklyn Park, North Hennepin Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at North Hennepin Community College are $4,882 per year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from North Hennepin Community College carry an average student debtload of $25,850.

North Hennepin Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at North Hennepin Community College

#7

Amarillo College

Amarillo, TX
$4,704 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Amarillo College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students. Located in the city of Amarillo, Amarillo College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Amarillo College are $4,704 per year. On average, criminal justice graduates from Amarillo College take out $16,751 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

$5,815 Average Tuition & Fees

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. Located in the town of Cloquet, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College is a public school with a small student population.

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,815 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College take out is $17,750.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Report

Northcentral Technical College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools ranking. Located in the city of Wausau, North Central Technical College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at North Central Technical College are $5,415 a year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at North Central Technical College take out is $13,322.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Northcentral Technical College

#10

Normandale Community College

Bloomington, MN

With a ranking of #10, Normandale Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students. Located in the small city of Bloomington, Normandale Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Normandale Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,789 in tuition and fees each year.

Normandale Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Normandale Community College Report

#11

South Plains College

Levelland, TX
$4,276 Average Tuition & Fees

South Plains College landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value criminal justice and corrections programs. South Plains College is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Levelland.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at South Plains College are $4,276 a year.

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

$4,104 Average Tuition & Fees

New Mexico State University - Grants came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools ranking. Located in the town of Grants, NMSU Grants is a public college with a fairly small student population.

NMSU Grants undergraduate students pay an average of $4,104 in tuition and fees each year. On average, criminal justice graduates from NMSU Grants take out $6,750 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

#13

Lake Region State College

Devils Lake, ND
$5,000 Average Tuition & Fees

Lake Region State College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value criminal justice and corrections programs. Lake Region State College is a small public school located in the town of Devils Lake.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Lake Region State College are $5,000 a year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Lake Region State College carry an average student debtload of $12,750.

Read More…

American Public University System landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value criminal justice and corrections programs. American Military University is a very large private for-profit school located in the fringe town of Charles Town.

American Military University undergraduate students pay an average of $7,360 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at American Military University accumulate an average of around $19,722 in student debt.

American Military University also claimed a spot on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.

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

#15

Lakeshore Technical College

Cleveland, WI
$6,056 Average Tuition & Fees

Lakeshore Technical College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value criminal justice and corrections programs. LTC is a small public school located in the rural area of Cleveland.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LTC are $6,056 per year.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Lakeshore Technical College

#16

Tyler Junior College

Tyler, TX
$4,440 Average Tuition & Fees

Tyler Junior College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students. It came in at #16 on the list. Tyler Junior College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Tyler.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Tyler Junior College are $4,440 per year. While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at Tyler Junior College accumulate an average of around $11,875 in student debt.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Tyler Junior College Report

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students. It came in at #17 on the list. Located in the rural area of Fennimore, Southwest Tech is a public college with a small student population.

Southwest Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $6,683 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Southwest Tech carry an average student debtload of $10,000.

Southwest Tech also claimed a spot on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Report

Metropolitan Community College landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value criminal justice and corrections programs. MCC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Omaha.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MCC are $4,680 per year. While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at MCC accumulate an average of around $13,539 in student debt.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Metropolitan Community College Report

#19

Mid-State Technical College

Wisconsin Rapids, WI
$6,351 Average Tuition & Fees

Mid-State Technical College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools ranking. Mid-State is a small public school located in the rural area of Wisconsin Rapids.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Mid-State are $6,351 per year.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Mid-State Technical College

$8,022 Average Tuition & Fees

Eastern Gateway Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools ranking. Eastern Gateway Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Steubenville.

Eastern Gateway Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,022 in tuition and fees each year.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Eastern Gateway Community College

$5,254 Average Tuition & Fees

Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Barranquitas landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value criminal justice and corrections programs. Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Barranquitas is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Barranquitas.

Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Barranquitas undergraduate students pay an average of $5,254 in tuition and fees each year.

Read More…

#22

Hennepin Technical College

Brooklyn Park, MN
$5,741 Average Tuition & Fees

Hennepin Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students. It came in at #22 on the list. Located in the suburb of Brooklyn Park, Hennepin Technical College is a public school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Hennepin Technical College are $5,741 a year. On average, criminal justice graduates from Hennepin Technical College take out $20,396 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Hennepin Technical College Report

#23

El Centro College

Dallas, TX

El Centro College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools ranking. El Centro College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Dallas.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at El Centro College are $6,000 per year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at El Centro College take out is $13,692.

El Centro College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools list.

Read More…

#25

Oakland Community College

Bloomfield Hills, MI
$5,200 Average Tuition & Fees

Oakland Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students. It came in at #25 on the list. Oakland Community College is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Bloomfield Hills.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Oakland Community College are $5,200 a year. Criminal Justice majors at Oakland Community College take out an average of $19,655 in student loans while working on their egree.

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

Rest of the Top 50 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools

#26

Inver Hills Community College

Inver Grove Heights, MN
#29

College of the Mainland

Texas City, TX
#29

Western Technical College

La Crosse, WI
#31

Century College

White Bear Lake, MN
#38

Lone Star College System

The Woodlands, TX
#40

Wayne State College

Wayne, NE
#41

Chadron State College

Chadron, NE
#43

Schoolcraft College

Livonia, MI
#44

Delgado Community College

New Orleans, LA
#45

College of Southern Idaho

Twin Falls, ID

Remaining Award Winners

This section shows the rest of the schools awarded a Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools badge. Showing in this list means the school was ranked in the top 15% of the 998 different United States criminal justice and corrections schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 New Mexico State University - Carlsbad Carlsbad, NM
52 Granite State College Concord, NH
53 College of Western Idaho Nampa, ID
54 Itawamba Community College Fulton, MS
55 Georgia Military College Milledgeville, GA
55 Johnson County Community College Overland Park, KS
57 Southwestern Illinois College Belleville, IL
58 Macomb Community College Warren, MI
59 Hibbing Community College Hibbing, MN
60 Jefferson College Hillsboro, MO
61 Bemidji State University Bemidji, MN
62 Spokane Community College Spokane, WA
63 Napa Valley College Napa, CA
64 South Texas College McAllen, TX
65 Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester Campus Sewell, NJ
65 University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC
67 Augusta Technical College Augusta, GA
68 Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
69 New Mexico State University - Alamogordo Alamogordo, NM
70 Hawkeye Community College Waterloo, IA
71 Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls, SD
72 Golden West College Huntington Beach, CA
72 Park University Parkville, MO
74 Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay, WI
75 Blackhawk Technical College Janesville, WI
76 Rio Salado College Tempe, AZ
77 Baton Rouge Community College Baton Rouge, LA
78 North Georgia Technical College Clarkesville, GA
79 Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, CA
80 Herzing University - Brookfield Brookfield, WI
81 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide Daytona Beach, FL
82 Southern Arkansas University Tech Camden, AR
83 Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg, NJ
84 Herzing University - Minneapolis Minneapolis, MN
85 Moreno Valley College Moreno Valley, CA
86 Herzing University - Atlanta Atlanta, GA
87 Jefferson Community College Watertown, NY
88 Middlesex County College Edison, NJ
89 Community College of Baltimore County Baltimore, MD
90 Minot State University Minot, ND
91 Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa, IA
92 Laredo College Laredo, TX
93 Western Dakota Technical Institute Rapid City, SD
94 Henry Ford College Dearborn, MI
95 Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN
96 Herzing University - Akron Akron, OH
97 Herzing University - Kenner Kenner, LA
97 Massachusetts Bay Community College Wellesley Hills, MA
99 SOWELA Technical Community College Lake Charles, LA
100 Savannah Technical College Savannah, GA
101 Herzing University - Kenosha Kenosha, WI
102 Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA
102 Genesee Community College Batavia, NY
104 Gwinnett Technical College Lawrenceville, GA
105 Herzing University - Birmingham Birmingham, AL
105 Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Valdosta, GA
107 Wor-Wic Community College Salisbury, MD
107 Herzing University - Madison Madison, WI
109 Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses Fort Wayne, IN
109 South Georgia Technical College Americus, GA
111 University of Maryland Global Campus Adelphi, MD
112 Metropolitan State University Saint Paul, MN
113 Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac, WI
114 Ocean County College Toms River, NJ
115 Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC
116 Southwest Texas Junior College Uvalde, TX
117 University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KY
117 Grantham University Lenexa, KS
119 Houston Community College Houston, TX
120 Central Georgia Technical College Warner Robins, GA
121 Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Ponce Mercedita, PR
122 Rowan College at Burlington County Mount Laurel, NJ
123 Bossier Parish Community College Bossier City, LA
123 Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College Shell Lake, WI
123 University of Phoenix - Arizona Tempe, AZ
126 Georgia Northwestern Technical College Rome, GA
127 Albany Technical College Albany, GA
128 Forsyth Technical Community College Winston-Salem, NC
129 Herzing University - Winter Park Winter Park, FL
130 Peru State College Peru, NE
131 Pitt Community College Winterville, NC
132 Atlantic Cape Community College Mays Landing, NJ
133 Queensborough Community College Bayside, NY
134 Central Ohio Technical College Newark, OH
135 Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Arecibo Arecibo, PR
136 The University of Arizona Global Campus San Diego, CA
137 Milwaukee Area Technical College Milwaukee, WI
137 National American University - Ellsworth AFB Extension Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD
139 Guilford Technical Community College Jamestown, NC
140 Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MN
140 Finger Lakes Community College Canandaigua, NY
142 Chipola College Marianna, FL
143 Bronx Community College Bronx, NY
143 Saint Louis Community College Saint Louis, MO
145 Northern Virginia Community College Annandale, VA
145 University of Phoenix - California Costa Mesa, CA
147 Western Illinois University Macomb, IL
148 Middlesex Community College Bedford, MA
149 Washtenaw Community College Ann Arbor, MI
149 John Tyler Community College Chester, VA

Additional Noteworthy Schools

Here are some additional great value schools for Criminal Justice & Corrections students seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools award.

Rank College Location
151 Sussex County Community College Newton, NJ
151 Wilmington University New Castle, DE
153 University of Phoenix - Hawaii Honolulu, HI
154 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL
155 Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC
156 Union Institute & University Cincinnati, OH
157 Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI
158 Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus Portales, NM
159 Hostos Community College Bronx, NY
159 North Shore Community College Danvers, MA
161 University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD
162 Southern Maine Community College South Portland, ME
162 Hillsborough Community College Tampa, FL
164 Essex County College Newark, NJ
165 National University La Jolla, CA
166 Hutchinson Community College Hutchinson, KS
167 Southern Illinois University Carbondale Carbondale, IL
168 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
168 Harrisburg Area Community College Harrisburg, PA
170 Borough of Manhattan Community College New York, NY
171 Middle Georgia State University Macon, GA
171 Delaware Technical Community College - Terry Dover, DE
173 Southwestern College Chula Vista, CA
174 Walden University Minneapolis, MN
175 Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny, IA
176 Phoenix College Phoenix, AZ
177 Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global Marion, IN
178 Nash Community College Rocky Mount, NC
179 Fulton-Montgomery Community College Johnstown, NY
180 Cochise County Community College District Sierra Vista, AZ
181 Bethel University McKenzie, TN
182 St Petersburg College Clearwater, FL
183 Excelsior College Albany, NY
183 Mineral Area College Park Hills, MO
185 Yavapai College Prescott, AZ
186 Marion Technical College Marion, OH
186 Concordia University, Saint Paul Saint Paul, MN
188 Central Piedmont Community College Charlotte, NC
188 Stark State College North Canton, OH
190 Seminole State College of Florida Sanford, FL
191 Purdue University Global Indianapolis, IN
192 Suffolk County Community College Selden, NY
193 North Dakota State University - Main Campus Fargo, ND
194 Surry Community College Dobson, NC
195 Franklin University Columbus, OH
196 Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI
197 Mohawk Valley Community College Utica, NY
197 West Texas A&M University Canyon, TX
199 Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL

Criminal Justice & Corrections by Region

View the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

One of 4 majors within the area of study, criminal justice and corrections has other similar majors worth exploring.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Fire Protection 13,766
Homeland Security 7,140
Security Science and Technology 6,888
Other Homeland Security 1,695

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • 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 the rest 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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