Best value colleges for Criminal Justice in Alabama.2026 Rankings
Alabama's higher-education landscape for Criminal Justice students includes 20 programs at institutions ranging from highly selective research universities to open-enrollment community colleges. The rankings below cut through marketing noise and use IPEDS federal data to show which programs give students the best return on their investment.
Key stats for this cohort: average in-state tuition $14,626, out-of-state tuition $20,247, average four-year graduation rate 45%, and median Criminal Justice graduate earnings $47,886/yr. The most selective program is at University of South Alabama (65% acceptance rate). These figures are drawn directly from IPEDS federal data and refreshed weekly.
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ranked by value score
| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samford UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 82% | 80% | $27,995 | $45,463 | 14:1 | 74 | 3,828 |
| 2 | Strong· 34 | 76% | 74% | $23,056 | $34,194 | 19:1 | 73 | 32,323 | |
| 3 | Stillman CollegePrivate | Good· 33 | 74% | 41% | $11,214 | $27,887 | 12:1 | 19 | 761 |
| 4 | Good· 33 | 65% | 53% | $15,456 | $36,216 | 18:1 | 49 | 8,540 | |
| 5 | Alabama A & M UniversityPublic | Good· 32 | 66% | 29% | $16,471 | $31,682 | 19:1 | 41 | 5,726 |
| 6 | Good· 32 | 76% | 51% | $16,202 | $33,879 | 19:1 | 40 | 7,030 | |
| 7 | Good· 31 | 93% | 36% | $16,689 | $38,710 | 15:1 | 37 | 2,693 | |
| 8 | Faulkner UniversityPrivate | Good· 31 | 66% | 38% | $27,967 | $54,704 | 13:1 | 34 | 1,555 |
| 9 | Huntingdon CollegePrivate | Good· 31 | 71% | 47% | $23,949 | $34,187 | 14:1 | 26 | 865 |
| 10 | Troy UniversityPublic | Good· 31 | 93% | 47% | $15,109 | $41,780 | 15:1 | 51 | 10,089 |
| 11 | Alabama State UniversityPublic | Good· 30 | 96% | 30% | $15,155 | $32,898 | 16:1 | 31 | 3,322 |
| 12 | Talladega CollegePrivate | Good· 30 | 99% | 65% | $13,910 | $27,158 | 19:1 | 20 | 782 |
| 13 | Good· 30 | 96% | 54% | $11,901 | $31,595 | 18:1 | 46 | 5,468 | |
| 14 | Average· 28 | 88% | 63% | $18,310 | $34,459 | 18:1 | 51 | 12,118 | |
| 15 | Miles CollegePrivate | Fair· 25 | — | 26% | $15,789 | — | 12:1 | 22 | 1,151 |
| 16 | Weak· 20 | 94% | 25% | $20,515 | $67,229 | 14:1 | 9 | 445 | |
| 17 | Columbia Southern UniversityPrivate | Poor· 17 | — | 37% | $14,413 | $60,461 | 28:1 | 13 | 13,053 |
| 18 | Athens State UniversityPublic | Poor· 15 | — | — | — | $43,433 | 14:1 | 31 | 2,407 |
| 19 | South University-MontgomeryPrivate | Very Poor· 13 | — | 15% | $30,704 | $37,713 | 13:1 | 9 | 302 |
| 20 | Amridge UniversityPrivate | Very Poor· 8 | — | 40% | — | $43,600 | 12:1 | 8 | 226 |