Best colleges for criminal justice in Georgia

    University of North Georgia ranks first in Georgia for criminal justice value (#127 nationally, value score 59.5): graduates earn $57,813 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,185 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 14 Georgia colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best criminal justice colleges in Georgia

    University of North Georgia ranks first in Georgia for criminal justice value (#127 nationally, value score 59.5): graduates earn $57,813 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,185 a year. 14 Georgia colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $50,486 and the average net price is $14,348 a year.

    Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 14 Georgia colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $50,486 and the average net price is $14,348 a year.
    • The highest criminal justice earnings in the state are at Thomas University ($61,295), ranked #3 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at Dalton State College: $2,353 a year.
    Median earnings
    $50,486
    National: $55,481
    Median net price
    $14,348
    National: $16,222
    Median federal debt
    $25,000
    criminal justice graduates
    Public colleges
    12 of 14
    in this list

    14 colleges

    The Georgia ranking

    Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    1. Rank in Georgia 1

      University of North Georgia

      Dahlonega, GA · Public · #127 nationally

      59.5Value
      Earnings
      $57,813
      Net price
      $14,185
      Federal debt
      $18,000
      Graduation rate
      38%
    2. Rank in Georgia 2

      University of Georgia

      Athens, GA · Public · #136 nationally

      58.7Value
      Earnings
      $50,717
      Net price
      $13,636
      Federal debt
      $14,000
      Graduation rate
      89%
    3. Rank in Georgia 3

      Thomas University

      Thomasville, GA · Private nonprofit · #167 nationally

      54.1Value
      Earnings
      $61,295
      Net price
      $16,111
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      28%
    4. Rank in Georgia 4

      Kennesaw State University

      Kennesaw, GA · Public · #185 nationally

      51.6Value
      Earnings
      $55,033
      Net price
      $16,325
      Federal debt
      $18,531
      Graduation rate
      50%
    5. Rank in Georgia 5

      Georgia State University

      Atlanta, GA · Public · #219 nationally

      47.1Value
      Earnings
      $52,857
      Net price
      $12,365
      Federal debt
      $22,000
      Graduation rate
      51%
    6. Rank in Georgia 6

      Dalton State College

      Dalton, GA · Public · #249 nationally

      42.2Value
      Earnings
      $48,341
      Net price
      $2,353
      Federal debt
      $17,610
      Graduation rate
      29%
    7. Rank in Georgia 7

      Georgia College & State University

      Milledgeville, GA · Public · #275 nationally

      37.7Value
      Earnings
      $52,062
      Net price
      $20,803
      Federal debt
      Not reported
      Graduation rate
      60%
    8. Rank in Georgia 8

      Middle Georgia State University

      Macon, GA · Public · #279 nationally

      37.3Value
      Earnings
      $52,719
      Net price
      $11,448
      Federal debt
      $25,343
      Graduation rate
      26%
    9. Rank in Georgia 9

      Augusta University

      Augusta, GA · Public · #312 nationally

      32.4Value
      Earnings
      $50,254
      Net price
      $14,863
      Federal debt
      $25,999
      Graduation rate
      50%
    10. Rank in Georgia 10

      Valdosta State University

      Valdosta, GA · Public · #322 nationally

      29.9Value
      Earnings
      $46,593
      Net price
      $10,804
      Federal debt
      $26,000
      Graduation rate
      45%
    11. Rank in Georgia 11

      Columbus State University

      Columbus, GA · Public · #336 nationally

      27.0Value
      Earnings
      $49,956
      Net price
      $15,711
      Federal debt
      $26,000
      Graduation rate
      42%
    12. Rank in Georgia 12

      Albany State University

      Albany, GA · Public · #347 nationally

      24.5Value
      Earnings
      $49,310
      Net price
      $14,511
      Federal debt
      $28,000
      Graduation rate
      30%
    13. Rank in Georgia 13

      Fort Valley State University

      Fort Valley, GA · Public · #352 nationally

      24.1Value
      Earnings
      $45,033
      Net price
      $12,421
      Federal debt
      $28,197
      Graduation rate
      39%
    14. Rank in Georgia 14

      Clark Atlanta University

      Atlanta, GA · Private nonprofit · #379 nationally

      9.1Value
      Earnings
      $47,012
      Net price
      $38,626
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      39%

    Method: the same value score as the national criminal justice ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.

    Questions about criminal justice colleges in Georgia

    What are the best colleges for criminal justice in Georgia?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Georgia colleges for criminal justice are University of North Georgia (value score 59.5), University of Georgia (value score 58.7) and Thomas University (value score 54.1). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which Georgia college has the highest earnings for criminal justice graduates?

    Thomas University: its criminal justice graduates have median earnings of $61,295 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable criminal justice college in Georgia on this list?

    Dalton State College has the lowest average net price of the ranked Georgia colleges, $2,353 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many Georgia colleges are ranked for criminal justice?

    14 Georgia colleges have a criminal justice bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within Georgia.