2026 Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Missouri
[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. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 16 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value criminal justice & police science schools.
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2026 Best Value Criminal Justice & Police Science Schools in Missouri
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
Saint Louis Community College tops our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice & police science schools in Missouri. Saint Louis Community College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Bridgeton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,660, compared with $6,990 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $6,625 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Saint Louis Community College earn a median of $38,999 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 Crowder College, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Neosho, Crowder College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,104 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $5,784. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $9,887. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Crowder College earn a median of $33,869 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,887 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Jefferson College earned it the #3 place for criminal justice & police science. Jefferson College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Hillsboro. Students from in state pay about $5,250 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $8,850. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $13,664. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Jefferson College earn a median of $61,641 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #4 makes Metropolitan Community College Kansas City one of the best values for criminal justice & police science. Located in the city of Kansas City, Metropolitan Community College Kansas City is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $3,630 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $9,600. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $4,821. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $48,137. That is a strong return on a $4,821 median debt.
Mineral Area College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice & police science schools. Mineral Area College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Park Hills. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,660, while out-of-state students pay about $8,570. Students borrow a median of $9,500 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $45,217. Set against $9,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Missouri Southern State University earned the #6 position for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Located in the city of Joplin, Missouri Southern State University is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,600, with out-of-state students paying around $18,300. Students borrow a median of $21,972 to complete the criminal justice & police science program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & police science degree recipients from Missouri Southern State University generally make around $32,776. Set against $21,972 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 97%.
Lincoln University Missouri came in at #7 for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Set in the city of Jefferson City, Lincoln University Missouri is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,796 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $17,692. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $37,171. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $37,449. Set against $37,171 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Missouri Western State University came in at #8 for value in criminal justice & police science this year. Set in the city of Saint Joseph, Missouri Western State University is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,545 in tuition and fees, compared with $18,455 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates carry a median of $20,149 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $41,107. Set against $20,149 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Drury University College Of Continuing Professional Studies landed the #9 spot for criminal justice & police science value this year. Located in the city of Springfield, Drury University College Of Continuing Professional Studies is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $8,054 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $21,133. Criminal Justice & Police Science graduates of Drury University College Of Continuing Professional Studies earn a median of $39,646 early in their careers. Set against $21,133 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Central Missouri came in at #10 for value in criminal justice & police science this year. University Of Central Missouri is a large public school located in the town of Warrensburg. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,050, with out-of-state students paying around $18,600. Typical student debt for criminal justice & police science graduates is $23,279. Early-career criminal justice & police science graduates make about $45,496. Set against $23,279 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 64%.
More Criminal Justice & Police Science Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 16 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
