2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Kentucky
[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 schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminal justice education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 19 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value criminal justice schools.
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2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in Kentucky
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 Somerset Community College the best value for a degree in criminal justice in Kentucky. Somerset Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Somerset. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,728, while out-of-state students pay about $6,432. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $14,387 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Somerset Community College earn a median of $34,245 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Hopkinsville Community College earned it the #2 place for criminal justice. Hopkinsville Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Hopkinsville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,728, compared with $6,432 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $13,269 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Hopkinsville Community College earn a median of $43,678 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $13,269 median debt.
Big Sandy Community And Technical College came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Set in the town of Prestonsburg, Big Sandy Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,728, while out-of-state students pay about $6,432. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $10,994 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $29,432. That is a strong return on a $10,994 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at West Kentucky Community And Technical College, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Paducah, West Kentucky Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,728, compared with $6,432 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $10,778. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from West Kentucky Community And Technical College generally make around $31,903. That is a strong return on a $10,778 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Maysville Community And Technical College earned it the #5 place for criminal justice. Set in the rural area of Maysville, Maysville Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,728, while out-of-state students pay about $6,432. Students borrow a median of $13,031 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Maysville Community And Technical College generally make around $37,769. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Elizabethtown Community And Technical College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Elizabethtown Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Elizabethtown. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,728, compared with $6,432 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $12,245 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Elizabethtown Community And Technical College generally make around $45,486. That is a strong return on a $12,245 median debt.
Madisonville Community College came in at #7 for value in criminal justice this year. Located in the town of Madisonville, Madisonville Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,728, while out-of-state students pay about $6,432. Students borrow a median of $10,985 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Madisonville Community College earn a median of $41,084 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $10,985 median debt.
Bluegrass Community And Technical College placed #8 among the best values for criminal justice. Set in the city of Lexington, Bluegrass Community And Technical College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,808, while out-of-state students pay about $6,512. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $10,814. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $44,752. That is a strong return on a $10,814 median debt.
Jefferson Community And Technical College earned the #9 position for value in criminal justice this year. Set in the city of Louisville, Jefferson Community And Technical College is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,808 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $6,512. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $11,516 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Jefferson Community And Technical College generally make around $33,316. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Eastern Kentucky University came in at #10 for value in criminal justice this year. Eastern Kentucky University is a large public school located in the town of Richmond. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,320, compared with $21,230 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Eastern Kentucky University generally make around $36,021. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Eastern Kentucky University admits about 78% of applicants.
University Of The Cumberlands ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Located in the town of Williamsburg, University Of The Cumberlands is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,875. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $25,000. Criminal Justice graduates of University Of The Cumberlands earn a median of $43,972 early in their careers. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of The Cumberlands admits about 99% of applicants.
University Of Louisville earned the #12 position for value in criminal justice this year. Located in the city of Louisville, University Of Louisville is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,136 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $29,482. Students borrow a median of $18,258 to complete the criminal justice program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from University Of Louisville generally make around $74,173. That is a strong return on a $18,258 median debt. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
Campbellsville University came in at #13 for value in criminal justice this year. Set in the town of Campbellsville, Campbellsville University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $27,998 in tuition and fees. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $21,550 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Campbellsville University earn a median of $36,849 early in their careers. Set against $21,550 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 80% 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. 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 · 19 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.
