2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Iowa
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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.
Top 10 Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools
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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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Indian Hills Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Iowa list. Located in the remote town of Ottumwa, IHCC is a public college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at IHCC are $4,560 per year.
Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Indian Hills Community College Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hawkeye Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Iowa list. Hawkeye Community College is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Waterloo.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Hawkeye Community College are $5,977 per year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Hawkeye Community College carry an average student debtload of $11,793.
Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Hawkeye Community College Report
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Iowa State University is a great value for criminal justice and corrections students. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Iowa State are $9,634 per 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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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Simpson College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Iowa list. Simpson College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the fringe 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.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Simpson College also is in the top 15% of our Best Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Iowa ranking.
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With a ranking of #6, Waldorf University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students. 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
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Mount Mercy University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value criminal justice and corrections programs. Mount Mercy is a small private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Cedar Rapids.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Mount Mercy are $36,540 per 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
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Loras College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value criminal justice and corrections programs. Loras is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Dubuque.
Loras undergraduate students pay an average of $35,268 in in-state tuition and fees each 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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Saint Ambrose University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Iowa list. St. Ambrose University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Davenport.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at St. Ambrose University are $33,570 per 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
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Grand View University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value criminal justice and corrections programs. Located in the midsize city of Des Moines, Grand View University is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Grand View University undergraduate students pay an average of $30,954 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Grand View University carry an average student debtload of $26,565.
Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Grand View University Report
Request InformationBest Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Colleges in the Plains States Region
Explore all the Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools 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 |
More Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings in Iowa
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 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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