Best value colleges for Criminal Justice in Ohio.2026 Rankings
Ohio is home to 40 accredited institutions offering Criminal Justice programs — from large public research universities to small private liberal arts colleges. This ranking evaluates each school on admission selectivity, four-year graduation rate, net price, and graduate earnings to surface the programs that deliver the strongest outcomes.
Among the schools listed here, Ohio Christian University is the most selective, admitting 40% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $28,017, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $30,791. Median early-career earnings for Criminal Justice graduates in this state average $35,720 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 56%.
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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 | University of DaytonPrivate | Great· 39 | 62% | 82% | $26,840 | $25,150 | 15:1 | 65 | 8,099 |
| 2 | Miami University-OxfordPublic | Great· 38 | 82% | 82% | $24,142 | $36,612 | 15:1 | 99 | 16,361 |
| 3 | Wilberforce UniversityPrivate | Great· 38 | 53% | 16% | $10,244 | $31,870 | 12:1 | 27 | 602 |
| 4 | Baldwin Wallace UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 77% | 69% | $23,535 | $42,407 | 9:1 | 68 | 2,775 |
| 5 | Cedarville UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 63% | 74% | $20,141 | $45,463 | 15:1 | 60 | 3,815 |
| 6 | Ohio Northern UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 73% | 74% | $22,253 | $38,918 | 13:1 | 55 | 2,386 |
| 7 | Bluffton UniversityPrivate | Strong· 35 | 61% | 50% | $18,013 | $37,955 | 10:1 | 48 | 595 |
| 8 | Lake Erie CollegePrivate | Strong· 34 | 64% | 42% | $18,863 | $39,461 | 12:1 | 32 | 678 |
| 9 | Strong· 34 | 84% | 64% | $19,173 | $39,999 | 12:1 | 49 | 1,346 | |
| 10 | Walsh UniversityPrivate | Strong· 34 | 78% | 62% | $19,692 | $48,514 | 13:1 | 45 | 1,294 |
| 11 | Muskingum UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 82% | 53% | $18,945 | $35,595 | 13:1 | 54 | 1,407 |
| 12 | Ohio Christian UniversityPrivate | Good· 33 | 40% | 36% | $20,820 | $37,996 | 11:1 | 27 | 816 |
| 13 | Good· 33 | 71% | 48% | $14,771 | $38,547 | 16:1 | 93 | 10,011 | |
| 14 | University of Mount UnionPrivate | Good· 33 | 80% | 65% | $20,206 | $38,440 | 12:1 | 57 | 1,785 |
| 15 | Good· 33 | 80% | 53% | $13,171 | $37,325 | 18:1 | 76 | 7,340 | |
| 16 | Ashland UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 81% | 61% | $22,000 | $42,172 | 15:1 | 56 | 2,250 |
| 17 | Central State UniversityPublic | Good· 32 | 46% | 26% | $18,187 | $32,631 | 17:1 | 30 | 3,412 |
| 18 | Defiance CollegePrivate | Good· 32 | 42% | 37% | $24,386 | $33,634 | 10:1 | 31 | 454 |
| 19 | Heidelberg UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 68% | 50% | $18,704 | $36,242 | 15:1 | 37 | 884 |
| 20 | Malone UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 76% | 51% | $21,996 | $40,724 | 12:1 | 47 | 777 |
| 21 | Good· 32 | 85% | 66% | $18,808 | $53,614 | 18:1 | 101 | 18,456 | |
| 22 | Xavier UniversityPrivate | Good· 32 | 88% | 71% | $31,527 | $41,013 | 11:1 | 62 | 4,723 |
| 23 | Good· 31 | 81% | 63% | $20,316 | $36,468 | 17:1 | 97 | 12,255 | |
| 24 | Lourdes UniversityPrivate | Good· 31 | 74% | 38% | $20,610 | $47,145 | 13:1 | 23 | 668 |
| 25 | Wilmington CollegePrivate | Good· 31 | 85% | 55% | $25,292 | $39,228 | 12:1 | 35 | 924 |
| 26 | Good· 30 | 87% | 65% | $16,772 | $33,980 | 21:1 | 91 | 19,134 | |
| 27 | The University of FindlayPrivate | Good· 30 | 86% | 63% | $23,566 | $42,263 | 13:1 | 64 | 2,240 |
| 28 | Good· 30 | 88% | 72% | $20,607 | $40,557 | 19:1 | 100 | 29,094 | |
| 29 | Tiffin UniversityPrivate | Average· 28 | 80% | 43% | $23,742 | $44,823 | 20:1 | 44 | 1,938 |
| 30 | University of ToledoPublic | Average· 27 | 95% | 56% | $17,553 | $37,548 | 18:1 | 76 | 10,244 |