2026 Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Arkansas
[Criminal Justice & Police Science](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice-and-police-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for criminal justice & police science students.
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2026 Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Arkansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice & police science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools
Southern Arkansas University Tech tops our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice & police science schools in Arkansas. Located in the rural area of Camden, Southern Arkansas University Tech is a small public university. Students from in state pay about $5,040 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $6,480. Students borrow a median of $8,488 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Southern Arkansas University Tech generally make around $34,302. Set against $8,488 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes Northwest Arkansas Community College one of the best values for criminal justice & police science. Set in the city of Bentonville, Northwest Arkansas Community College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,342 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $5,238. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $12,479 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Northwest Arkansas Community College earn a median of $40,671 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice & police science will find it at Black River Technical College, which ranked #3. Located in the town of Pocahontas, Black River Technical College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,776, while out-of-state students pay about $7,488. Students borrow a median of $7,100 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Black River Technical College generally make around $40,468. That is a strong return on a $7,100 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at South Arkansas Community College earned it the #4 place for criminal justice & police science. South Arkansas Community College is a small public school located in the town of El Dorado. Students from in state pay about $3,324 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $5,532. Students borrow a median of $15,386 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from South Arkansas Community College generally make around $59,370. Set against $15,386 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice & police science will find it at Arkansas State University Beebe, which ranked #5. Set in the town of Beebe, Arkansas State University Beebe is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,336 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $5,232. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $9,350 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Arkansas State University Beebe generally make around $30,293. Set against $9,350 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Arkansas State University Mountain Home came in at #6 for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Arkansas State University Mountain Home is a small public school located in the town of Mountain Home. In-state tuition and fees average $3,312, with out-of-state students paying around $4,776. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $18,097. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Arkansas State University Mountain Home generally make around $39,011. Set against $18,097 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
National Park Community College landed the #7 spot for criminal justice & police science value this year. National Park Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the suburb of Hot Springs. Students from in state pay about $5,600 in tuition and fees, compared with $7,280 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $14,162 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of National Park Community College earn a median of $34,904 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Arkansas At Little Rock placed #8 among the best values for criminal justice & police science. Located in the city of Little Rock, University Of Arkansas At Little Rock is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,911, compared with $22,721 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $30,026. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $40,989. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Arkansas At Little Rock admits about 59% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked 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 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.
