CHARLOTTE, N.C., Dec. 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Value Colleges (www.valuecolleges.com), an independent online guide to the best values in undergraduate and graduate college education, has released its ranking of the Top 50 Best Value Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs of 2016: http://www.valuecolleges.com/rankings/best-online-graduate-criminal-justice-programs-2016/
The ranking highlights the colleges and universities that have found the best balance between quality and cost for both working adults and traditional college students. Value Colleges considers only regionally-accredited, reliable institutions that have a proven track record of providing their graduates with a reasonable return on investment.
Data for the ranking is gathered from the U.S. News & World Report's Ranking of 2016 Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs, PayScale's 2015 College ROI Report, and actual tuition costs (as reported on school websites).
The top 3 best values for 2016 were the University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA, California State University-San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA, and Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.
All schools included in the ranking are listed below (in alphabetical order):
Arizona State University – Tempe, AZ
Armstrong Atlantic State University – Savannah, GA
Bellevue University – Bellevue, NE
Boston University – Boston, MA
Bowling Green State University – Bowling Green, OH
California State University-San Bernardino – San Bernardino, CA
College of St. Elizabeth – Morristown, NJ
Columbia College – Columbia, MO
Concordia University-St. Paul – St. Paul, MN
Delta State University – Cleveland, MS
DeSales University – Center Valley, PA
East Carolina University – Greenville, NC
Fairmont State University – Fairmont, WV
Faulkner University – Montgomery, AL
Fayetteville State University – Fayetteville, NC
Florida International University – Miami, FL
Florida State University – Tallahassee, FL
Indiana University of Pennsylvania – Indiana, PA
Jacksonville State University – Jacksonville, AL
Kent State University – Kent, OH
Lamar University – Beaumont, TX
Liberty University – Lynchburg, VA
Michigan State University – East Lansing, MI
Missouri State University – Springfield, MO
Monmouth University – West Long Branch, NJ
New Mexico State University – Las Cruces, NM
Nova Southeastern University – Fort Lauderdale, FL
Prairie View A&M University – Prairie View, TX
Rowan University – Glassboro, NJ
Sam Houston State University – Huntsville, TX
Southeast Missouri State University – Cape Girardeau, MO
Texas A&M International University – Laredo, TX
Texas Southern University – Houston, TX
Tiffin University – Tiffin, OH
Trine University – Angola, IN
University of California-Irvine – Irvine, CA
University of Central Missouri – Warrensburg, MO
University of Cincinnati – Cincinnati, OH
University of Colorado-Denver – Denver, CO
University of Louisville – Louisville, KY
University of New Haven – New Haven, CT
University of Texas-Dallas – Richardson, TX
University of the Cumberlands – Williamsburg, KY
University of Toledo – Toledo, OH
University of Wisconsin-Platteville – Platteville, WI
Washington State University – Pullman, WA
Wayne State University – Detroit, MI
Webber International University – Babson Park, FL
Western Kentucky University – Bowling Green, KY
Youngstown State University – Youngstown, OH
While individuals can still get professional careers in criminal justice with a bachelor's degree, editor Carrie Sealey-Morris explains, "As more police departments, government agencies, and private security firms make a BA or BS degree a minimum requirement, a graduate degree is one of the most effective ways to distinguish yourself as a candidate." Some online degree institutions have seen the demand and have hastily thrown together degree programs, but the best tend to be from established, reputable schools whose names signal quality and reliability to employers. Value Colleges directs students to the schools that can back up their claims with evidence.
Value Colleges is an independent, online resource with one mission: to help prospective students find the best educational value in their chosen field. At Value Colleges, future students can find rankings for the top investments in online and residential college degrees, advice on making the best decisions about finances when in college, and explanations of commonly-misunderstood aspects of college costs.
Contact:
Carrie Sealey-Morris
Editor, Value Colleges
(512) 710-9901