2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Alabama
[Criminal Justice](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/criminal-justice/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminal justice education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 11 schools to find the best return on investment for criminal justice students.
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2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Alabama
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 University Of North Alabama the best value for a degree in criminal justice in Alabama. Located in the city of Florence, University Of North Alabama is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,120 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $22,320. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $24,125 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from University Of North Alabama generally make around $31,595. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Troy University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the town of Troy, Troy University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,176, compared with $20,352 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 Troy University generally make around $43,451. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at Talladega College, which ranked #3. Set in the town of Talladega, Talladega College is a small private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,650. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $31,062 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $27,568. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Miles College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice, landing the #4 spot this year. Miles College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Fairfield. Students from in state pay about $13,314 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $35,881. Median earnings reach $32,627 ten years out. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at Columbia Southern University, which ranked #5. Set in the town of Orange Beach, Columbia Southern University is a very large private for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,224. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $23,641. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $60,232. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Alabama A And M University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Set in the city of Normal, Alabama A And M University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,024 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $18,634. Students borrow a median of $32,500 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Alabama A And M University generally make around $31,682. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
University Of South Alabama earned the #7 position for value in criminal justice this year. Located in the city of Mobile, University Of South Alabama is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,116, with out-of-state students paying around $19,092. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $29,026. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $36,216. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of South Alabama admits about 71% of applicants.
Faulkner University ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Located in the city of Montgomery, Faulkner University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,920. Students borrow a median of $28,250 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Faulkner University generally make around $60,669. That is a strong return on a $28,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 73%.
Huntingdon College landed the #9 spot for criminal justice value this year. Huntingdon College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Montgomery. Students from in state pay about $29,070 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $28,252. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Huntingdon College generally make around $33,649. Set against $28,252 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 70%.
More Criminal Justice Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 11 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.
