Best value colleges for Criminal Justice in New Jersey.2026 Rankings
With 20 Criminal Justice programs spread across New Jersey, narrowing your list takes real data. Our algorithm ranks each school on six factors — admission rate, graduation rate, net price, median graduate earnings, student-faculty ratio, and major breadth — so you can compare apples to apples before you apply.
New Jersey offers 9 public and 11 private Criminal Justice programs in this ranking. Public universities average $28,157 for in-state students, making them a strong value option. The most competitive school on the list — The College of New Jersey — accepts 62% of applicants. Early-career earnings for Criminal Justice graduates average $34,513, with a state-wide graduation rate of 60% for ranked programs.
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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 | Excellent· 42 | 65% | 85% | $17,578 | $34,611 | 15:1 | 102 | 36,357 | |
| 2 | Excellent· 42 | 62% | 85% | $20,638 | $36,070 | 13:1 | 38 | 6,831 | |
| 3 | Strong· 37 | 78% | 66% | $14,931 | $34,611 | 12:1 | 38 | 3,819 | |
| 4 | Strong· 36 | 79% | 68% | $17,388 | $34,611 | 13:1 | 43 | 7,187 | |
| 5 | Saint Peter's UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 91% | 63% | $11,494 | $28,558 | 11:1 | 47 | 1,939 |
| 6 | Caldwell UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 65% | 59% | $18,547 | $22,939 | 13:1 | 35 | 1,437 |
| 7 | Georgian Court UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 71% | 55% | $19,676 | $48,079 | 10:1 | 37 | 1,174 |
| 8 | Kean UniversityPublic | Strong· 34 | 77% | 43% | $12,503 | $39,408 | 17:1 | 47 | 10,842 |
| 9 | Rowan UniversityPublic | Strong· 34 | 78% | 68% | $19,644 | $33,254 | 16:1 | 81 | 14,647 |
| 10 | Seton Hall UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 79% | 71% | $24,326 | $27,167 | 14:1 | 50 | 5,924 |
| 11 | Rider UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 79% | 63% | $22,356 | $36,053 | 12:1 | 54 | 3,192 |
| 12 | Saint Elizabeth UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 77% | 40% | $21,594 | $53,774 | 11:1 | 31 | 636 |
| 13 | Centenary UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 97% | 57% | $15,190 | $37,259 | 12:1 | 39 | 934 |
| 14 | Good· 32 | 96% | 62% | $14,926 | $33,874 | 14:1 | 47 | 2,578 | |
| 15 | Good· 32 | 89% | 39% | $13,160 | $34,027 | 14:1 | 34 | 4,076 | |
| 16 | Monmouth UniversityPrivate | Good· 31 | 90% | 70% | $29,142 | $37,862 | 12:1 | 35 | 3,831 |
| 17 | Good· 30 | — | — | $6,638 | $72,369 | 15:1 | 21 | 6,685 | |
| 18 | Average· 28 | 93% | 48% | $17,978 | $35,864 | 17:1 | 41 | 6,526 | |
| 19 | Felician UniversityPrivate | Fair· 25 | 94% | 50% | $42,782 | $41,141 | 15:1 | 29 | 1,754 |
| 20 | Weak· 19 | — | 45% | $20,005 | $32,721 | 14:1 | 16 | 1,798 |