2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Wisconsin
[Criminal Justice](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminal justice education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for criminal justice students.
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2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Wisconsin
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools
Northcentral Technical College earned the #1 spot for value among criminal justice schools in Wisconsin. Located in the city of Wausau, Northcentral Technical College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,889, while out-of-state students pay about $7,132. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $14,250 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Northcentral Technical College generally make around $49,533. That is a strong return on a $14,250 median debt.
Marian University Wisconsin is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice, landing the #2 spot this year. Marian University Wisconsin is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Fond Du Lac. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,204. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $27,242. Criminal Justice graduates of Marian University Wisconsin earn a median of $72,102 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Marian University Wisconsin admits about 75% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Carthage College one of the best values for criminal justice. Located in the city of Kenosha, Carthage College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $38,750. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Carthage College earn a median of $39,551 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at Concordia University Wisconsin, which ranked #4. Concordia University Wisconsin is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Mequon. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $35,470. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $27,000. Criminal Justice graduates of Concordia University Wisconsin earn a median of $41,527 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Concordia University Wisconsin admits about 78% of applicants.
More Criminal Justice 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 · 8 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.
