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Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Iowa

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2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Iowa

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

13 Colleges
$28,757 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$39,063 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections School for You

With 627 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, criminal justice and corrections is the #12 most popular major in Iowa.

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.

The Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Iowa ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 13 schools in Iowa 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.

2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Iowa

Check out the criminal justice programs at these schools if you want to get the best value for your educational dollar.

Top 10 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools

$5,220 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named Des Moines Area Community College the best value school in Iowa for criminal justice and corrections students. DMACC is a very large public school located in the suburb of Ankeny.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at DMACC are $5,220 per year. On average, criminal justice graduates from DMACC take out $11,015 in student loans while working on their degree.

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$4,560 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Indian Hills Community College helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best criminal justice and corrections schools in Iowa. Located in the town of Ottumwa, IHCC is a public school with a small student population.

IHCC undergraduate students pay an average of $4,560 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Indian Hills Community College Report

$5,977 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Hawkeye Community College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Iowa list. Hawkeye Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Waterloo.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Hawkeye Community College are $5,977 a year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Hawkeye Community College carry an average student debtload of $11,793.

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

$9,634 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Iowa list. Located in the city of Ames, Iowa State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Iowa State undergraduate students pay an average of $9,634 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Iowa State carry an average student debtload of $24,500. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $285, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Iowa State also made our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Iowa list, coming in at #4.

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#5

Simpson College

Indianola, IA
$44,030 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Simpson College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best criminal justice and corrections schools in Iowa. Simpson College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Indianola.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Simpson College are $44,030 per year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at Simpson College take out is $27,000.

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

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Simpson College

#6

Waldorf University

Forest City, IA
$23,666 Average Tuition & Fees

Waldorf University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value criminal justice and corrections programs. Located in the remote town of Forest City, Waldorf is a private for-profit school with a small student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Waldorf are $23,666 per year. Criminal Justice majors at Waldorf take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Waldorf University

#7

Mount Mercy University

Cedar Rapids, IA
$36,540 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Mount Mercy University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students. Mount Mercy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Cedar Rapids.

Mount Mercy undergraduate students pay an average of $36,540 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Criminal Justice majors at Mount Mercy take out an average of $26,365 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Criminal Justice & Corrections at Mount Mercy University

#8

Loras College

Dubuque, IA
$35,268 Average Tuition & Fees

Loras College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students. It came in at #8 on the list. Loras is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Dubuque.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Loras are $35,268 a year. Criminal Justice majors at Loras take out an average of $24,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

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#9

Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA
$33,570 Average Tuition & Fees

Saint Ambrose University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students. It came in at #9 on the list. St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Davenport.

St. Ambrose University undergraduate students pay an average of $33,570 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at St. Ambrose University accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.

Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Saint Ambrose University Report

#10

Grand View University

Des Moines, IA
$30,954 Average Tuition & Fees

Grand View University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Iowa list. Located in the medium-sized city of Des Moines, Grand View University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Grand View University are $30,954 a year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Grand View University carry an average student debtload of $26,565.

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Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Missouri 1,273
Minnesota 1,525
Kansas 586
Nebraska 608
North Dakota 225
South Dakota 154

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 13 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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