2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Studies Schools in South Carolina
[Criminal Justice Studies](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice-studies/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 21 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 South Carolina
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
Our analysis ranked Trident Technical College the best value for a degree in criminal justice studies in South Carolina. Set in the city of Charleston, Trident Technical College is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,546 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $8,620. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $18,116 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Trident Technical College earn a median of $50,166 early in their careers. Set against $18,116 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at York Technical College earned it the #2 place for criminal justice studies. York Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Rock Hill. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,036, with out-of-state students paying around $13,340. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $8,500 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of York Technical College earn a median of $44,401 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Horry Georgetown Technical College earned it the #3 place for criminal justice studies. Located in the city of Conway, Horry Georgetown Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,518 in tuition and fees, compared with $10,978 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $15,500. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Horry Georgetown Technical College earn a median of $30,840 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #4 makes Midlands Technical College one of the best values for criminal justice studies. Midlands Technical College is a large public school located in the suburb of West Columbia. Students from in state pay about $5,100 in tuition and fees, compared with $14,700 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $17,313. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $20,266. That is a strong return on a $17,313 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Tri County Technical College earned it the #5 place for criminal justice studies. Located in the suburb of Pendleton, Tri County Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,448, while out-of-state students pay about $12,007. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $15,787 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Tri County Technical College generally make around $35,726. Set against $15,787 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College landed the #6 spot for criminal justice studies value this year. Located in the town of Orangeburg, Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,210, with out-of-state students paying around $8,354. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $18,583. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College earn a median of $61,814 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,583 median debt.
Greenville Technical College placed #7 among the best values for criminal justice studies. Greenville Technical College is a large public school located in the city of Greenville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,495, compared with $10,775 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice Studies graduates carry a median of $15,475 in student loans. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Greenville Technical College earn a median of $33,307 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,475 median debt.
Northeastern Technical College came in at #8 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Located in the rural area of Cheraw, Northeastern Technical College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,664 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $6,024. Students borrow a median of $18,933 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Northeastern Technical College generally make around $57,772. Set against $18,933 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Piedmont Technical College landed the #9 spot for criminal justice studies value this year. Set in the town of Greenwood, Piedmont Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,775, while out-of-state students pay about $6,923. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $20,650. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $32,721. That is a strong return on a $20,650 median debt.
Coastal Carolina University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice studies schools. Set in the city of Conway, Coastal Carolina University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,640 in tuition and fees, compared with $29,628 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $27,174. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $38,272. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 75%.
Bob Jones University came in at #11 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Set in the city of Greenville, Bob Jones University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $22,892. Students borrow a median of $18,298 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Early-career criminal justice studies graduates make about $31,372. Set against $18,298 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Claflin University landed the #12 spot for criminal justice studies value this year. Located in the town of Orangeburg, Claflin University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,046. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $37,009. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Claflin University generally make around $33,345. That is a strong return on a $37,009 median debt. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
Charleston Southern University earned the #13 position for value in criminal justice studies this year. Charleston Southern University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Charleston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $32,520. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminal justice studies program here. Criminal Justice Studies graduates of Charleston Southern University earn a median of $33,633 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 96%.
Columbia College South Carolina came in at #14 for value in criminal justice studies this year. Located in the city of Columbia, Columbia College South Carolina is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $20,054 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminal justice studies graduates is $26,773. Soon after graduation, criminal justice studies degree recipients from Columbia College South Carolina generally make around $48,839. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 94%.
More Criminal Justice Studies Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 21 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 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.
