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2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

455 Colleges
$5,507 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$31,065 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree 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.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools ranking. This report analyzed 455 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value associate degree programs for criminal justice students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

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 Associate Degree Schools in the United States

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

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

Our 2023 rankings named Southeast Community College Area the best value school in the United States for criminal justice and corrections students working on their associate degree. 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. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Southeast Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $17,331.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Southeast Community College also did well on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southeast Community College Area Report

#2

Columbia Southern University

Orange Beach, AL

The excellent associate degree programs at Columbia Southern University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value criminal justice and corrections schools in the United States. Columbia Southern University is a large private for-profit school located in the town of Orange Beach.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Columbia Southern University are $5,775 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, criminal justice majors at Columbia Southern University accumulate an average of around $20,619 in student debt.

Columbia Southern University not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools list.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Columbia Southern University

#3

Amarillo College

Amarillo, TX

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Amarillo College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the city of Amarillo, Amarillo College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Amarillo College are $4,704 a year. On average, criminal justice graduates from Amarillo College take out $20,507 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Amarillo College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Alexandria Technical & Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools list. Located in the town of Alexandria, ATCC is a public college with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ATCC are $5,910 per year. While working on their Associate Degree, criminal justice majors at ATCC accumulate an average of around $13,387 in student debt.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ATCC also is in the top 10% of our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools ranking.

Read More…

#5

Camden County College

Blackwood, NJ

The excellent associate degree programs at Camden County College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best value criminal justice and corrections schools in the United States. Camden County College is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Blackwood.

Camden County College undergraduate students pay an average of $3,744 in tuition and fees each year. On average, criminal justice graduates from Camden County College take out $12,552 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Camden County College Report

Northeast Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree criminal justice and corrections programs. Located in the 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 Associate Degree, criminal justice graduates from Northeast carry an average student debtload of $14,313.

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

#7

North Hennepin Community College

Brooklyn Park, MN

North Hennepin Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for criminal justice and corrections students to get a associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Brooklyn Park, North Hennepin Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

North Hennepin Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,882 in tuition and fees each year.

North Hennepin Community College also claimed a spot on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree 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

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

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College are $5,815 a year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $18,689.

Read More…

#9

South Plains College

Levelland, TX

South Plains College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools list. South Plains College is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Levelland.

South Plains College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,276 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at South Plains College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $15,242.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at South Plains 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 working on their associate degree. Located in the 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. On average, criminal justice graduates from Normandale Community College take out $19,161 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

In addition to its great value ranking, Normandale Community College is in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools list.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Normandale Community College Report

#11

Tyler Junior College

Tyler, TX

With a ranking of #11, Tyler Junior College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students working on their associate degree. Tyler Junior College is a fairly large public school located in the city of Tyler.

Tyler Junior College undergraduate students pay an average of $4,440 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Tyler Junior College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $14,547.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Tyler Junior College

With a ranking of #12, New Mexico State University - Grants did quite well on this year’s best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students working on their associate degree. Located in the town of Grants, NMSU Grants is a public school with a small student population.

NMSU Grants undergraduate students pay an average of $4,104 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, criminal justice graduates from NMSU Grants carry an average student debtload of $10,377.

Read More…

#13

El Centro College

Dallas, TX

El Centro College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree criminal justice and corrections programs. El Centro College is a very large public school located in the city of Dallas.

El Centro College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,000 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, criminal justice graduates from El Centro College carry an average student debtload of $16,446.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, El Centro College also is in the top 5% of our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools ranking.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at El Centro College

Southwest Wisconsin Technical College landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree criminal justice and corrections programs. Located in the rural area of Fennimore, Southwest Tech is a public college with a small student population.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southwest Tech are $6,683 per year. On average, criminal justice graduates from Southwest Tech take out $13,031 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, Southwest Tech also did well on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College

#16

Lakeshore Technical College

Cleveland, WI

Lakeshore Technical College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools list. LTC is a small public school located in the rural area of Cleveland.

LTC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,056 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, criminal justice majors at LTC accumulate an average of around $7,736 in student debt.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Lakeshore Technical College Report

#17

Mid-State Technical College

Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Mid-State Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for criminal justice and corrections students to get a associate degree. It came in at #17 on the list. Mid-State is a small public school located in the rural area of Wisconsin Rapids.

Mid-State undergraduate students pay an average of $6,351 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their Associate Degree, criminal justice graduates from Mid-State carry an average student debtload of $11,940.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Mid-State Technical College Report

Metropolitan Community College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools list. MCC is a large public school located in the large city of Omaha.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MCC are $4,680 per year. Criminal Justice majors at MCC take out an average of $13,240 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

In addition to its great value ranking, MCC is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools list.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Metropolitan Community College Report

Eastern Gateway Community College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree criminal justice and corrections programs. Eastern Gateway Community College is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Steubenville.

Eastern Gateway Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,022 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their Associate Degree, criminal justice majors at Eastern Gateway Community College accumulate an average of around $9,160 in student debt.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Eastern Gateway Community College also is in the top 20% of our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools ranking.

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

Madison Area Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for criminal justice and corrections students to get a associate degree. It came in at #20 on the list. Madison College is a large public school located in the large city of Madison.

Madison College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,769 in tuition and fees each year. Criminal Justice majors at Madison College take out an average of $17,924 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

Madison College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools list.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Madison Area Technical College Report

Northcentral Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for criminal justice and corrections students to get a associate degree. It came in at #21 on the list. Located in the small city of Wausau, North Central Technical College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.

North Central Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,415 in tuition and fees each year.

North Central Technical College excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools list.

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

#22

Inver Hills Community College

Inver Grove Heights, MN

With a ranking of #22, Inver Hills Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students working on their associate degree. IHCC is a small public school located in the large suburb of Inver Grove Heights.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at IHCC are $5,809 a year. On average, criminal justice graduates from IHCC take out $23,094 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.

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

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Inver Hills Community College Report

#23

Century College

White Bear Lake, MN

With a ranking of #23, Century College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students working on their associate degree. Located in the suburb of White Bear Lake, Century College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Century College undergraduate students pay an average of $5,907 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Century College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $29,681.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Century College also is in the top 10% of our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools ranking.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Century College

#24

Western Technical College

La Crosse, WI

Western Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for criminal justice and corrections students to get a associate degree. It came in at #24 on the list. Western Technical College is a small public school located in the city of La Crosse.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Western Technical College are $6,687 a year. After completing their Associate Degree, criminal justice graduates from Western Technical College carry an average student debtload of $15,185.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Western Technical College also is in the top 10% of our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools ranking.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Western Technical College Report

With a ranking of #25, Waukesha County Technical College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students working on their associate degree. WCTC is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Pewaukee.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WCTC are $6,603 a year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at WCTC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $20,143.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, WCTC also did well on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Waukesha County Technical College

Rest of the Top Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools

#28

Oakland Community College

Bloomfield Hills, MI
#29

Lake Region State College

Devils Lake, ND
#30

College of Southern Idaho

Twin Falls, ID
#35

Lone Star College System

The Woodlands, TX
#38

Schoolcraft College

Livonia, MI
#40

College of the Mainland

Texas City, TX
#41

Delgado Community College

New Orleans, LA
#49

Georgia Military College

Milledgeville, GA
#50

Napa Valley College

Napa, CA

Remaining Award Winners

This list represents the remainder of the schools awarded a Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools badge. Showing in this list means the college was ranked in the top 15% of the 455 different United States criminal justice and corrections schools we analyzed.

Rank College Location
51 Jefferson College Hillsboro, MO
52 South Texas College McAllen, TX
53 Gwinnett Technical College Lawrenceville, GA
54 North Georgia Technical College Clarkesville, GA
55 Southwestern Illinois College Belleville, IL
56 Spokane Community College Spokane, WA
57 Northeast Wisconsin Technical College Green Bay, WI
57 Golden West College Huntington Beach, CA
59 Blackhawk Technical College Janesville, WI
60 Rowan College of South Jersey Gloucester Campus Sewell, NJ
61 New Mexico State University - Alamogordo Alamogordo, NM
62 Hawkeye Community College Waterloo, IA
63 Southeast Technical College Sioux Falls, SD
64 Santa Rosa Junior College Santa Rosa, CA
65 Baton Rouge Community College Baton Rouge, LA
66 Raritan Valley Community College Branchburg, NJ
67 Wharton County Junior College Wharton, TX
68 Jefferson Community College Watertown, NY

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 Associate Degree Schools award.

Rank College Location
69 Middlesex County College Edison, NJ
70 Laredo College Laredo, TX
71 SOWELA Technical Community College Lake Charles, LA
72 Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa, IA
73 South Georgia Technical College Americus, GA
74 Western Dakota Technical Institute Rapid City, SD
75 Henry Ford College Dearborn, MI
76 Moreno Valley College Moreno Valley, CA
77 Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN
78 Massachusetts Bay Community College Wellesley Hills, MA
79 Park University Parkville, MO
80 Albany Technical College Albany, GA
81 Genesee Community College Batavia, NY
81 Santa Ana College Santa Ana, CA
83 Herzing University - Akron Akron, OH
84 Guilford Technical Community College Jamestown, NC
84 Trine University-Regional/Non-Traditional Campuses Fort Wayne, IN
86 Bossier Parish Community College Bossier City, LA
87 Herzing University - Birmingham Birmingham, AL
88 Moraine Park Technical College Fond du Lac, WI
89 Herzing University - Kenner Kenner, LA
90 Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College Shell Lake, WI
91 Ocean County College Toms River, NJ

Criminal Justice & Corrections by Region

View the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree 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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