2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Michigan
[Criminal Justice](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 20 schools to find the best return on investment for criminal justice students.
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2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Michigan
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools
For return on investment in criminal justice, no school beat Oakland Community College this year. Set in the suburb of Auburn Hills, Oakland Community College is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,120, with out-of-state students paying around $5,560. Students borrow a median of $13,506 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Oakland Community College generally make around $51,827. That is a strong return on a $13,506 median debt.
A rank of #2 makes Henry Ford Community College one of the best values for criminal justice. Set in the city of Dearborn, Henry Ford Community College is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $3,568, while out-of-state students pay about $7,816. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $15,200 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Henry Ford Community College generally make around $26,336. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at Macomb Community College, which ranked #3. Macomb Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Warren. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,660, while out-of-state students pay about $8,370. Students borrow a median of $6,964 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Macomb Community College earn a median of $38,758 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Kellogg Community College earned it the #4 place for criminal justice. Kellogg Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Battle Creek. In-state tuition and fees average $4,118, compared with $8,282 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $20,432 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Kellogg Community College earn a median of $32,616 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Northwestern Michigan College came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Located in the city of Traverse City, Northwestern Michigan College is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,860 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $13,476. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $17,694 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $57,015. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Ferris State University placed #6 among the best values for criminal justice. Set in the town of Big Rapids, Ferris State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,778. Students borrow a median of $21,880 to complete the criminal justice program here. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $48,266. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Ferris State University admits about 91% of applicants.
Bay De Noc Community College came in at #7 for value in criminal justice this year. Located in the town of Escanaba, Bay De Noc Community College is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $6,214, while out-of-state students pay about $11,453. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $17,625. Criminal Justice graduates of Bay De Noc Community College earn a median of $39,075 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Oakland University earned the #8 position for value in criminal justice this year. Located in the suburb of Rochester Hills, Oakland University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,167, compared with $24,735 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Oakland University generally make around $54,785. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Oakland University admits about 88% of applicants.
Lake Superior State University came in at #9 for value in criminal justice this year. Lake Superior State University is a small public school located in the town of Sault Ste Marie. In-state tuition and fees average $14,890. Students borrow a median of $18,614 to complete the criminal justice program here. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $44,286. Set against $18,614 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Detroit Mercy placed #10 among the best values for criminal justice. University Of Detroit Mercy is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Detroit. In-state tuition and fees average $32,946. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $29,053. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $76,755. That is a strong return on a $29,053 median debt. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
Grand Valley State University earned the #11 position for value in criminal justice this year. Located in the town of Allendale, Grand Valley State University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,502, compared with $21,894 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the criminal justice program here. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $39,857. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Grand Valley State University admits about 83% of applicants.
Northern Michigan University landed the #12 spot for criminal justice value this year. Northern Michigan University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Marquette. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,322, compared with $19,944 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $17,844 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Northern Michigan University generally make around $40,508. Set against $17,844 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 84%.
Michigan State University landed the #13 spot for criminal justice value this year. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,079, with out-of-state students paying around $44,850. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the criminal justice program here. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $57,913. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 85%.
Olivet College came in at #14 for value in criminal justice this year. Olivet College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Olivet. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,068. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $37,723. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 83%.
Adrian College came in at #15 for value in criminal justice this year. Set in the town of Adrian, Adrian College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $41,684 in tuition and fees. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $30,500 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $34,112. That is a strong return on a $30,500 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
More Criminal Justice Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 8 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.
