2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Missouri
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Criminal Justice & Corrections School for You
In 2020-2021, 1,273 degrees and certificates were awarded to criminal justice and corrections students who went to a Missouri college or university. This makes it the #12 most popular major 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 Missouri ranking. This report analyzed 24 schools in Missouri to see which ones offered the best value programs for criminal justice students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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 analysis found Jefferson College to be the best value school for criminal justice and corrections students who want to pursue a degree in Missouri. Located in the rural area of Hillsboro, JeffCo is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at JeffCo are $6,030 a year. The average amount in student loans that criminal justice majors at JeffCo take out is $8,500.
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Out of the 24 schools in Missouri that were part of this year’s ranking, Central Methodist University - College of Graduate & Extended Studies landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the town of Fayette, CMU CGES is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
CMU CGES undergraduate students pay an average of $6,720 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, criminal justice graduates from CMU CGES take out $26,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Saint Louis Community College is a great value for criminal justice and corrections students. Saint Louis Community College is a large public school located in the large suburb of Saint Louis.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Saint Louis Community College are $5,295 a year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Park University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Missouri list. Located in the suburb of Parkville, Park University is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
Park University undergraduate students pay an average of $8,853 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, criminal justice graduates from Park University take out $20,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Mineral Area College is a great value for criminal justice and corrections students. Located in the town of Park Hills, MAC is a public college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MAC are $5,200 per year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from MAC carry an average student debtload of $10,436.
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Truman State University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value criminal justice and corrections programs. Located in the remote town of Kirksville, Truman State is a public school with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Truman State are $8,689 per year. After completing their degree, criminal justice graduates from Truman State carry an average student debtload of $23,089.
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University of Central Missouri ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Missouri list. UCM is a large public school located in the town of Warrensburg.
UCM undergraduate students pay an average of $9,078 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at UCM accumulate an average of around $23,578 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $153.
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Harris - Stowe State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value criminal justice and corrections programs. Harris - Stowe State University is a small public school located in the large city of Saint Louis.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Harris - Stowe State University are $5,868 a year. While working on their degree, criminal justice majors at Harris - Stowe State University accumulate an average of around $38,354 in student debt.
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Southeast Missouri State 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. Located in the city of Cape Girardeau, Southeast Missouri State University is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Southeast Missouri State University are $8,715 per year. Criminal Justice majors at Southeast Missouri State University take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $157, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Criminal Justice & Corrections at Southeast Missouri State University Report
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Missouri Western State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for criminal justice and corrections students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the city of Saint Joseph, Missouri Western is a public college with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Missouri Western are $7,930 per year. Criminal Justice majors at Missouri Western take out an average of $23,250 in student loans while working on their egree.
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 |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | 1,525 |
| Kansas | 586 |
| Iowa | 627 |
| Nebraska | 608 |
| North Dakota | 225 |
| South Dakota | 154 |
More Criminal Justice & Corrections Rankings in Missouri
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 24 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.