by our College Data Analytics Team
[Criminal Justice](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice/) 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.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 20 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for criminal justice students.
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If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the criminal justice degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in criminal justice, no school beat Stark State College this year. Set in the suburb of North Canton, Stark State College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,790 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $7,886. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $16,350. Criminal Justice graduates of Stark State College earn a median of $35,014 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,350 median debt.
Clark State Community College came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Set in the city of Springfield, Clark State Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,393, compared with $8,049 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $15,522 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Clark State Community College earn a median of $39,734 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,522 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at Zane State College, which ranked #3. Located in the town of Zanesville, Zane State College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $6,006, with out-of-state students paying around $11,766. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $8,556. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Zane State College generally make around $35,764. Set against $8,556 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Central Ohio Technical College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Located in the suburb of Newark, Central Ohio Technical College is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,256, while out-of-state students pay about $8,016. Students borrow a median of $16,779 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Central Ohio Technical College generally make around $40,065. That is a strong return on a $16,779 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Washington State Community College earned it the #5 place for criminal justice. Washington State Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Marietta. In-state tuition and fees average $4,128, with out-of-state students paying around $4,152. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $16,291 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Washington State Community College earn a median of $45,305 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $16,291 median debt.
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Owens Community College earned the #6 position for value in criminal justice this year. Set in the suburb of Perrysburg, Owens Community College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,870, compared with $10,502 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $15,663 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Owens Community College earn a median of $51,319 early in their careers. Set against $15,663 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Miami University Hamilton earned the #7 position for value in criminal justice this year. Miami University Hamilton is a mid-sized public school located in the suburb of Hamilton. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,012, while out-of-state students pay about $18,811. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $23,505 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $36,612. That is a strong return on a $23,505 median debt.
University Of Akron Main Campus placed #8 among the best values for criminal justice. Set in the city of Akron, University Of Akron Main Campus is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,135, with out-of-state students paying around $20,815. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $21,313. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from University Of Akron Main Campus generally make around $36,821. Set against $21,313 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
Eastern Gateway Community College came in at #9 for value in criminal justice this year. Eastern Gateway Community College is a large public school located in the city of Steubenville. In-state tuition and fees average $4,225, while out-of-state students pay about $6,071. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $10,642 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Eastern Gateway Community College generally make around $37,052. That is a strong return on a $10,642 median debt.
Lake Erie College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Located in the suburb of Painesville, Lake Erie College is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $37,634. Students borrow a median of $28,250 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Lake Erie College generally make around $65,474. That is a strong return on a $28,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 70%.
Ashland University landed the #11 spot for criminal justice value this year. Located in the town of Ashland, Ashland University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $31,210 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $29,406. Criminal Justice graduates of Ashland University earn a median of $42,172 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 76%.
Franklin University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Located in the city of Columbus, Franklin University is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,577. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $28,750. Criminal Justice graduates of Franklin University earn a median of $38,103 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $28,750 median debt.
Tiffin University landed the #13 spot for criminal justice value this year. Located in the town of Tiffin, Tiffin University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $34,790. Students borrow a median of $30,758 to complete the criminal justice program here. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $53,145. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
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 · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.