2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in South Carolina
[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 best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 18 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value criminal justice schools.
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2026 Best Value Criminal Justice Schools in South Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice Schools
Leading the list is University Of South Carolina Lancaster, our #1 best value for criminal justice in South Carolina. University Of South Carolina Lancaster is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Lancaster. Students from in state pay about $7,558 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $18,238. Students borrow a median of $11,592 to complete the criminal justice program here. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $44,067. Set against $11,592 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
University Of South Carolina Upstate came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Located in the suburb of Spartanburg, University Of South Carolina Upstate is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,588, with out-of-state students paying around $23,090. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of University Of South Carolina Upstate earn a median of $34,447 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 67%.
Coastal Carolina University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in criminal justice, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of Conway, Coastal Carolina University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,640, with out-of-state students paying around $29,628. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $27,174 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Coastal Carolina University earn a median of $38,272 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Coastal Carolina University admits about 75% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at Allen University, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Columbia, Allen University is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,304. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $39,771. Criminal Justice graduates of Allen University earn a median of $23,346 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice will find it at Spartanburg Methodist College, which ranked #5. Set in the suburb of Spartanburg, Spartanburg Methodist College is a small private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $20,650. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $12,000 in student loans. Criminal Justice graduates of Spartanburg Methodist College earn a median of $14,509 early in their careers. Set against $12,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Spartanburg Methodist College admits about 78% of applicants.
Benedict College came in at #6 for value in criminal justice this year. Benedict College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Columbia. Students from in state pay about $17,748 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $40,750. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Benedict College generally make around $23,838. Set against $40,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
South Carolina State University landed the #7 spot for criminal justice value this year. South Carolina State University is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Orangeburg. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,060, with out-of-state students paying around $21,750. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $31,000. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $32,576. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. South Carolina State University admits about 83% of applicants.
Morris College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Located in the city of Sumter, Morris College is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $16,664. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $26,946 in student loans. Graduates go on to earn a median of $30,614 ten years after entry. Set against $26,946 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Citadel Military College Of South Carolina ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Set in the city of Charleston, Citadel Military College Of South Carolina is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,570, while out-of-state students pay about $38,508. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $24,966. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $45,235. That is a strong return on a $24,966 median debt. Roughly 23% of applicants are accepted.
Claflin University landed the #10 spot for criminal justice value this year. Set in the town of Orangeburg, Claflin University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $17,046. Criminal Justice graduates carry a median of $37,009 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $33,026. Set against $37,009 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Claflin University admits about 65% of applicants.
Limestone College ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice schools. Located in the town of Gaffney, Limestone College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $27,800. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Limestone College earn a median of $39,181 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $31,000 median debt. Limestone College admits about 97% of applicants.
University Of South Carolina Columbia landed the #12 spot for criminal justice value this year. Set in the city of Columbia, University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,688, compared with $36,298 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the criminal justice program here. Early-career criminal justice graduates make about $35,781. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Strayer University South Carolina placed #13 among the best values for criminal justice. Set in the city of Greenville, Strayer University South Carolina is a mid-sized private for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,920. Typical student debt for criminal justice graduates is $56,937. Soon after graduation, criminal justice degree recipients from Strayer University South Carolina generally make around $43,405. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Anderson University Sc landed the #14 spot for criminal justice value this year. Set in the city of Anderson, Anderson University Sc is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $34,970. Students borrow a median of $28,500 to complete the criminal justice program here. Criminal Justice graduates of Anderson University Sc earn a median of $60,296 early in their careers. Set against $28,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
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 · 18 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.
