2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Pennsylvania
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections School for You
Criminal Justice & Corrections is one of the most popular subjects to study in Pennsylvania. With 3,232 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 10th out of all the majors we track in the state.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Our analysis looked at 58 schools in Pennsylvania 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.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Bucks County Community College the best value school in Pennsylvania for criminal justice and corrections students. Located in the rural area of Newtown, Bucks County Community College is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Bucks County Community College are $9,098 a year. On average, criminal justice graduates from Bucks County Community College take out $10,950 in student loans while working on their degree.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Harrisburg Area Community College is a great value for criminal justice and corrections students. Located in the small city of Harrisburg, HACC is a public school with a large student population.
HACC undergraduate students pay an average of $8,295 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, criminal justice graduates from HACC take out $15,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Pennsylvania list. WCUPA is a large public school located in the large suburb of West Chester.
WCUPA undergraduate students pay an average of $10,423 in in-state tuition and fees each year.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Lehigh Carbon Community College. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Pennsylvania list. LCCC is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Schnecksville.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at LCCC are $8,430 a year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from LCCC carry an average student debtload of $11,000.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Montgomery County Community College is a great value for criminal justice and corrections students. Montco is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Blue Bell.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Montco are $10,350 a year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Montco carry an average student debtload of $18,591.
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Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Bloomsburg is a moderately-sized public school located in the small city of Bloomsburg.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Bloomsburg are $10,982 a year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Bloomsburg carry an average student debtload of $26,957. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $199.
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Lock Haven University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Pennsylvania list. LHU is a small public school located in the distant town of Lock Haven.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LHU are $10,878 per year. Criminal Justice majors at LHU take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $316, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
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With a ranking of #8, Community College of Allegheny County did quite well on this year’s best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students. CCAC is a large public school located in the large city of Pittsburgh.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CCAC are $8,323 a year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from CCAC carry an average student debtload of $11,050.
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Clarion University of Pennsylvania landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value criminal justice and corrections programs. Located in the remote town of Clarion, Clarion University is a public school with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Clarion University are $11,173 per year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Clarion University take out is $26,000.
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Delaware County Community College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Pennsylvania list. Delaware County Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of Media.
Delaware County Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $9,900 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Delaware County Community College take out is $13,137.
Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Delaware County Community College Report
Request InformationBest Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region
Explore all the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| New York | 8,093 |
| Maryland | 948 |
| New Jersey | 2,955 |
| District of Columbia | 335 |
| Delaware | 280 |
More Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings in Pennsylvania
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.
Majors Similar to Criminal Justice
| 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.