Note: The Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice is one of the most popular degrees at The Citadel for members of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. Many alumni are currently serving in criminal justice roles in Charleston and in cities and states across America. The Citadel’s degree ranked ninth in the country, just behind Michigan State University, on this list created by Great Value Colleges.
As seen on GreatValueColleges.net
To develop this ranking of the top affordable Bachelor’s in Criminology programs, our editors searched for schools that offered cheap undergraduate programs in Criminology. To rate and rank these programs, we applied the methodology below, using information from Google, the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), Payscale.com, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, and each program’s website. In cases of a tie, the more affordable school pulled the higher rank. If the information didn’t fit within the parameters, zero points were awarded for that category.
Tuition
- Net Price Below $10,000: 4 points
- Net Price Below $15,000: 3 points
- Net Price Below $20,000: 2 points
- Net Price Below $25,000: 1 point
Student to Faculty Ratio
- Less than 20:1: 1 point
- Less than 15: 1: 2 points
- Less than 10: 1: 3 points
Return on Investment (ROI) According to Payscale.com
- Top 500: 1 point
- Top 300: 2 points
- Top 150: 3 points
Student Support Network (faculty mentors/advisors, writing/technology support, etc.) – 1 point per item
Concentrations/Specializations – 1 point per item
Accreditation (School-Wide and Program-Specific) – 1 point per item
Campus Diversity Support Network – 1 point per item
“Wow” Factor – 1 point (anything that would mark a program as unique. Special qualities that make a program “stand out from the crowd”)
Cybersecurity cadet mentors AFJROTC cyber team, helping lead them to #1 in SC, and now a national competition
Career fair brings employment opportunities to cadets and students
Law Enforcement career jumpstart: first cadets are sworn in as community service officers
