Best colleges for criminal justice in Kentucky
University of Louisville ranks first in Kentucky for criminal justice value (#85 nationally, value score 64.8): graduates earn $57,399 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,960 a year.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 7 Kentucky colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026
Best criminal justice colleges in Kentucky
University of Louisville ranks first in Kentucky for criminal justice value (#85 nationally, value score 64.8): graduates earn $57,399 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $14,960 a year. 7 Kentucky colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $47,882 and the average net price is $14,960 a year.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025
What the data shows
Key findings
- 7 Kentucky colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $47,882 and the average net price is $14,960 a year.
- The lowest average net price among them is at Northern Kentucky University: $8,976 a year.
- Median earnings
- $47,882
- National: $55,481
- Median net price
- $14,960
- National: $16,222
- Median federal debt
- $21,250
- criminal justice graduates
- Public colleges
- 5 of 7
- in this list
7 colleges
The Kentucky 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.
- Earnings
- $57,399
- Net price
- $14,960
- Federal debt
- $18,500
- Graduation rate
- 60%
- Rank in Kentucky 2
Highland Heights, KY · Public · #138 nationally
58.4Value- Earnings
- $55,835
- Net price
- $8,976
- Federal debt
- $24,368
- Graduation rate
- 54%
- Earnings
- $47,882
- Net price
- $11,925
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Graduation rate
- 51%
- Earnings
- $48,437
- Net price
- $11,237
- Federal debt
- $23,000
- Graduation rate
- 56%
- Rank in Kentucky 5
Campbellsville, KY · Private nonprofit · #362 nationally
19.8Value- Earnings
- $41,900
- Net price
- $17,734
- Federal debt
- $17,200
- Graduation rate
- 34%
- Earnings
- $46,767
- Net price
- $17,637
- Federal debt
- Not reported
- Graduation rate
- 30%
- Rank in Kentucky 7
Pikeville, KY · Private nonprofit · #376 nationally
12.7Value- Earnings
- $41,524
- Net price
- $19,224
- Federal debt
- $24,749
- Graduation rate
- 41%
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 Kentucky
What are the best colleges for criminal justice in Kentucky?
By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Kentucky colleges for criminal justice are University of Louisville (value score 64.8), Northern Kentucky University (value score 58.4) and Eastern Kentucky University (value score 38.8). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.
Which Kentucky college has the highest earnings for criminal justice graduates?
University of Louisville: its criminal justice graduates have median earnings of $57,399 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
What is the most affordable criminal justice college in Kentucky on this list?
Northern Kentucky University has the lowest average net price of the ranked Kentucky colleges, $8,976 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.
How many Kentucky colleges are ranked for criminal justice?
7 Kentucky 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 Kentucky.