2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree School for You
In 2020-2021, 113,121 criminal justice and corrections students received a degree or certificate, making the major the #7 most popular in the country.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. This report analyzed 38 schools in the Plains States Region 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.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Southeast Community College Area the best value school in the Plains States Region 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.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southeast Community College are $3,780 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, criminal justice graduates from Southeast Community College carry an average student debtload of $17,331.
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The excellent associate degree programs at Alexandria Technical & Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value criminal justice and corrections schools in the Plains States Region . Located in the town of Alexandria, ATCC is a public college with a small student population.
ATCC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,910 in tuition and fees each year. Criminal Justice majors at ATCC take out an average of $13,387 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, ATCC also did well on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeast Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. 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. While working on their Associate Degree, criminal justice majors at Northeast accumulate an average of around $14,313 in student debt.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend North Hennepin Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in the large suburb of Brooklyn Park, North Hennepin Community 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 Hennepin Community College are $4,882 a year.
North Hennepin Community 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 in the Plains States Region list.
Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at North Hennepin Community College Report
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College is a great value for criminal justice and corrections students working on their associate degree. Located in the fringe town of Cloquet, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College are $5,815 per year. After completing their Associate Degree, criminal justice graduates from Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College carry an average student debtload of $18,689.
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Normandale Community College landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree criminal justice and corrections programs. Located in the small city of Bloomington, Normandale Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Normandale Community College are $5,789 per year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Normandale Community College take out while working on their Associate Degree is $19,161.
In addition to its great value ranking, Normandale Community College is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region list.
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Metropolitan 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. MCC is a large public school located in the city of Omaha.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at MCC are $4,680 a year. On average, criminal justice graduates from MCC take out $13,240 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, MCC also is in the top 20% of our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.
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With a ranking of #8, 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 suburb of Inver Grove Heights.
IHCC undergraduate students pay an average of $5,809 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at IHCC take out while working on their Associate Degree is $23,094.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, IHCC also is in the top 20% of our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.
Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Inver Hills Community College Report
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Century College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree criminal justice and corrections programs. Located in the large 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. After completing their Associate Degree, criminal justice graduates from Century College carry an average student debtload of $29,681.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Century College also is in the top 20% of our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Associate Degree Schools in the Plains States Region ranking.
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With a ranking of #10, Northland Community and Technical 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 town of Thief River Falls, Northland Community and Technical College is a public school with a small student population.
Northland Community and Technical College undergraduate students pay an average of $6,052 in tuition and fees each year. On average, criminal justice graduates from Northland Community and Technical College take out $15,626 in student loans while working on their Associate Degree.
Request InformationBest Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges by State
Explore the best criminal justice and corrections schools for a specific state in the Plains States region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Missouri | 1,273 |
| Minnesota | 1,525 |
| Kansas | 586 |
| Iowa | 627 |
| Nebraska | 608 |
| North Dakota | 225 |
| South Dakota | 154 |
More Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings in the Plains States Region
Criminal Justice & Corrections Related Majors for Criminal Justice
One of 4 majors within the area of study, criminal justice and corrections has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| 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.