2026 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Arkansas
[Criminal Justice & Corrections](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong criminal justice & corrections education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 38 schools to find the best return on investment for criminal justice & corrections students.
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2026 Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools in Arkansas
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in criminal justice & corrections, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Criminal Justice & Corrections Schools
Our analysis ranked Southern Arkansas University Tech the best value for a degree in criminal justice & corrections in Arkansas. Set in the rural area of Camden, Southern Arkansas University Tech is a small public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,040 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $6,480. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $8,488. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $34,302. That is a strong return on a $8,488 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Black River Technical College earned it the #2 place for criminal justice & corrections. Black River Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Pocahontas. In-state tuition and fees average $4,776, while out-of-state students pay about $7,488. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $7,100. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Black River Technical College earn a median of $40,468 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #3 makes Phillips Community College Of The University Of Arkansas one of the best values for criminal justice & corrections. Phillips Community College Of The University Of Arkansas is a small public school located in the town of Helena. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,380, with out-of-state students paying around $4,550. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $5,500 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $45,190. That is a strong return on a $5,500 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in criminal justice & corrections will find it at Northwest Arkansas Community College, which ranked #4. Northwest Arkansas Community College is a large public school located in the city of Bentonville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,342, compared with $5,238 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,479 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Northwest Arkansas Community College earn a median of $40,671 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at South Arkansas Community College earned it the #5 place for criminal justice & corrections. South Arkansas Community College is a small public school located in the town of El Dorado. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,324, while out-of-state students pay about $5,532. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $15,386. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of South Arkansas Community College earn a median of $59,370 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Arkansas State University Beebe landed the #6 spot for criminal justice & corrections value this year. Arkansas State University Beebe is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Beebe. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,336, compared with $5,232 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $9,350. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Arkansas State University Beebe earn a median of $30,293 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $9,350 median debt.
Arkansas State University Newport landed the #7 spot for criminal justice & corrections value this year. Set in the rural area of Newport, Arkansas State University Newport is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $3,312 in tuition and fees, compared with $4,752 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $10,925 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Arkansas State University Newport earn a median of $44,500 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Arkansas Fort Smith came in at #8 for value in criminal justice & corrections this year. University Of Arkansas Fort Smith is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Fort Smith. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,334, while out-of-state students pay about $12,182. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $18,750. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $33,460. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
Arkansas State University Mountain Home earned the #9 position for value in criminal justice & corrections this year. Arkansas State University Mountain Home is a small public school located in the town of Mountain Home. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $3,312, compared with $4,776 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $18,097 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Arkansas State University Mountain Home earn a median of $39,011 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,097 median debt.
National Park Community College ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice & corrections schools. National Park Community College is a mid-sized public school located in the suburb of Hot Springs. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,600, with out-of-state students paying around $7,280. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $14,162 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of National Park Community College earn a median of $34,904 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Arkansas Tech University placed #11 among the best values for criminal justice & corrections. Set in the town of Russellville, Arkansas Tech University is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,674, with out-of-state students paying around $14,668. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $25,785. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Arkansas Tech University earn a median of $35,642 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Arkansas Tech University admits about 96% of applicants.
University Of Arkansas At Pine Bluff placed #12 among the best values for criminal justice & corrections. Set in the town of Pine Bluff, University Of Arkansas At Pine Bluff is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,375, compared with $17,955 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $35,532. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 41%.
Grantham University placed #13 among the best values for criminal justice & corrections. Located in the city of LIttle Rock, Grantham University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $8,520 in tuition and fees. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $32,697 in student loans. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates of Grantham University earn a median of $44,782 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $32,697 median debt.
Philander Smith College landed the #14 spot for criminal justice & corrections value this year. Set in the city of Little Rock, Philander Smith College is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $13,014. Students borrow a median of $38,630 to complete the criminal justice & corrections program here. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Philander Smith College generally make around $27,413. That is a strong return on a $38,630 median debt.
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus landed the #15 spot for criminal justice & corrections value this year. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Magnolia. In-state tuition and fees average $9,960, compared with $15,690 for out-of-state students. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $22,349 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Southern Arkansas University Main Campus generally make around $28,541. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Arkansas At Little Rock landed the #16 spot for criminal justice & corrections value this year. Located in the city of Little Rock, University Of Arkansas At Little Rock is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $9,911 in tuition and fees, compared with $22,721 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for criminal justice & corrections graduates is $30,026. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from University Of Arkansas At Little Rock generally make around $40,989. That is a strong return on a $30,026 median debt. The acceptance rate is 59%.
University Of Arkansas came in at #17 for value in criminal justice & corrections this year. Set in the city of Fayetteville, University Of Arkansas is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,104 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $29,966. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $25,385 in student loans. Early-career criminal justice & corrections graduates make about $38,083. Set against $25,385 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Arkansas admits about 74% of applicants.
Harding University ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the best value criminal justice & corrections schools. Harding University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Searcy. In-state tuition and fees average $25,962. Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates carry a median of $24,955 in student loans. Soon after graduation, criminal justice & corrections degree recipients from Harding University generally make around $38,818. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 70%.
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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 · 38 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.
