2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Ohio
[Criminal Justice Studies](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice-studies/) 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.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 38 schools to find the best return on investment for criminal justice studies students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in Ohio
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the criminal justice studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools
Marion Technical College tops our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools in Ohio. Set in the town of Marion, Marion Technical College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $6,595 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $11,225. Students borrow a median of $11,828 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Marion Technical College earn a median of $48,132 early in their careers. Set against $11,828 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice studies will find it at University Of Cincinnati Blue Ash College, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Blue Ash, University Of Cincinnati Blue Ash College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,106, with out-of-state students paying around $15,904. Students borrow a median of $16,799 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of University Of Cincinnati Blue Ash College earn a median of $38,399 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Cincinnati Clermont College one of the best values for criminal justice studies. Located in the suburb of Batavia, University Of Cincinnati Clermont College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $6,639 in tuition and fees, compared with $13,871 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $16,799 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of University Of Cincinnati Clermont College earn a median of $38,399 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #4 makes Zane State College one of the best values for criminal justice studies. Zane State College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Zanesville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,006, with out-of-state students paying around $11,766. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $8,556 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Zane State College earn a median of $35,764 early in their careers. Set against $8,556 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Kent State University At Trumbull is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice studies, landing the #5 spot this year. Set in the rural area of Warren, Kent State University At Trumbull is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,211, with out-of-state students paying around $17,969. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $22,843 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Kent State University At Trumbull generally make around $33,980. Set against $22,843 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Youngstown State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Set in the city of Youngstown, Youngstown State University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,926, compared with $10,286 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,465 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Youngstown State University generally make around $37,325. That is a strong return on a $24,465 median debt. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Akron Main Campus ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Set in the city of Akron, University Of Akron Main Campus is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,135 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $20,815. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $21,313 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of University Of Akron Main Campus earn a median of $36,821 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 60%.
University Of Toledo placed #8 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Located in the city of Toledo, University Of Toledo is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,157 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,517. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from University Of Toledo generally make around $37,548. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
Central State University came in at #9 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Set in the rural area of Wilberforce, Central State University is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,058, while out-of-state students pay about $10,058. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $31,000. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Central State University earn a median of $32,631 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
Kent State University At Kent earned the #10 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,220, compared with $21,575 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $22,843 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Kent State University At Kent generally make around $33,980. That is a strong return on a $22,843 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
Walsh University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Located in the suburb of North Canton, Walsh University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $33,030 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $28,064 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Walsh University earn a median of $53,629 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,064 median debt. Walsh University admits about 71% of applicants.
Ohio University Main Campus came in at #12 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the town of Athens. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,158, with out-of-state students paying around $24,838. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $13,500 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Ohio University Main Campus earn a median of $44,159 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Bowling Green State University Main Campus ranked #13 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a large public school located in the town of Bowling Green. In-state tuition and fees average $13,912, while out-of-state students pay about $21,900. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $36,468. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Bowling Green State University Main Campus admits about 81% of applicants.
University Of Mount Union ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Located in the town of Alliance, University Of Mount Union is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $36,600. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of University Of Mount Union earn a median of $38,440 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 78%.
Lourdes College ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Lourdes College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Sylvania. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $28,370. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $29,668. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Lourdes College generally make around $75,250. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Lourdes College admits about 74% of applicants.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus landed the #16 spot for criminal justice studies value this year. Set in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,363, while out-of-state students pay about $28,697. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $21,253. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $49,712. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Wilmington College landed the #17 spot for criminal justice studies value this year. Located in the town of Wilmington, Wilmington College is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $32,082. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $27,802. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Wilmington College earn a median of $39,762 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,802 median debt. Roughly 92% of applicants are accepted.
Baldwin Wallace College earned the #18 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Baldwin Wallace College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Berea. In-state tuition and fees average $39,832. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $42,407. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Dayton came in at #19 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Located in the city of Dayton, University Of Dayton is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,140. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of University Of Dayton earn a median of $25,150 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 65%.
Xavier University ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Xavier University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cincinnati. In-state tuition and fees average $49,425. Students borrow a median of $26,396 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Xavier University earn a median of $48,079 early in their careers. Set against $26,396 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
More Criminal Justice Studies Rankings
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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 · 38 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 15 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.
