2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
[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 19 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for criminal justice students.
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2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the criminal justice degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools
Our analysis ranked Laramie County Community College the best value for a degree in criminal justice in the Rocky Mountains Region. Laramie County Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Cheyenne. Students from in state pay about $4,613 in tuition and fees, compared with $10,913 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $15,309 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Laramie County Community College earn a median of $51,302 early in their careers. Set against $15,309 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at College Of Western Idaho, which ranked #2. College Of Western Idaho is a very large public school located in the rural area of Nampa. In-state tuition and fees average $3,446, with out-of-state students paying around $7,454. Students borrow a median of $7,381 to complete the criminal justice program here. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $35,959.
Utah Valley University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Utah Valley University is a very large public school located in the city of Orem. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,507, while out-of-state students pay about $18,489. Students borrow a median of $18,016 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Utah Valley University earn a median of $44,051 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at Aims Community College, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Greeley, Aims Community College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,258 in tuition and fees, compared with $11,786 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $9,062. Criminal Justice graduates of Aims Community College earn a median of $45,909 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Pikes Peak Community College earned it the #5 place for criminal justice. Set in the suburb of Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak Community College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,510, with out-of-state students paying around $17,110. Students borrow a median of $16,066 to complete the criminal justice program here. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $50,546. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Arapahoe Community College landed the #6 spot for criminal justice value this year. Located in the suburb of Littleton, Arapahoe Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,434, compared with $17,034 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $21,351. Criminal Justice graduates of Arapahoe Community College earn a median of $54,371 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Front Range Community College earned the #7 position for value in criminal justice this year. Located in the suburb of Westminster, Front Range Community College is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,663, while out-of-state students pay about $17,263. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $24,774. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $40,414. That is a strong return on a $24,774 median debt.
Trinidad State Junior College came in at #8 for value in criminal justice this year. Trinidad State Junior College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Trinidad. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,608, with out-of-state students paying around $7,318. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $10,502. Criminal Justice graduates of Trinidad State Junior College earn a median of $53,086 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Colorado State University Global Campus came in at #9 for value in criminal justice this year. Located in the city of Denver, Colorado State University Global Campus is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,000. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $38,276. Criminal Justice graduates of Colorado State University Global Campus earn a median of $63,568 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Colorado State University Global Campus admits about 98% of applicants.
Mesa State College came in at #10 for value in criminal justice this year. Mesa State College is a large public school located in the city of Grand Junction. Students from in state pay about $9,927 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $25,124. Students borrow a median of $18,000 to complete the criminal justice program here. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $51,921. Set against $18,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 82%.
Colorado Technical University Colorado Springs earned the #11 position for value in criminal justice this year. Colorado Technical University Colorado Springs is a very large private for-profit school located in the city of Colorado Springs. In-state tuition and fees average $12,750. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $50,705 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Colorado Technical University Colorado Springs earn a median of $62,222 early in their careers. Set against $50,705 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Located in the city of Colorado Springs, University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,906, while out-of-state students pay about $25,039. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $18,625. Criminal Justice graduates of University Of Colorado At Colorado Springs earn a median of $42,199 early in their careers. Set against $18,625 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 97% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Colorado Denver earned the #13 position for value in criminal justice this year. University Of Colorado Denver is a very large public school located in the city of Denver. In-state tuition and fees average $10,383, while out-of-state students pay about $29,391. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $22,250. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from University Of Colorado Denver generally make around $45,814. Set against $22,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
Colorado Christian University came in at #14 for value in criminal justice this year. Colorado Christian University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lakewood. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $28,846. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $48,125 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Colorado Christian University generally make around $47,333. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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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 · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.
