Best colleges for criminal justice in Tennessee
Middle Tennessee State University ranks first in Tennessee for criminal justice value (#123 nationally, value score 60.1): graduates earn $55,481 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $12,562 a year.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 9 Tennessee colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026
Best criminal justice colleges in Tennessee
Middle Tennessee State University ranks first in Tennessee for criminal justice value (#123 nationally, value score 60.1): graduates earn $55,481 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $12,562 a year. 9 Tennessee colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $53,376 and the average net price is $12,562 a year.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025
What the data shows
Key findings
- 9 Tennessee colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $53,376 and the average net price is $12,562 a year.
- The highest criminal justice earnings in the state are at Bethel University-Tennessee ($62,967), ranked #2 in the state once cost, debt and graduation rate count.
- The lowest average net price among them is at Austin Peay State University: $9,049 a year.
- Median earnings
- $53,376
- National: $55,481
- Median net price
- $12,562
- National: $16,222
- Median federal debt
- $20,500
- criminal justice graduates
- Public colleges
- 7 of 9
- in this list
9 colleges
The Tennessee 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.
- Rank in Tennessee 1
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN · Public · #123 nationally
60.1Value- Earnings
- $55,481
- Net price
- $12,562
- Federal debt
- $18,942
- Graduation rate
- 54%
- Rank in Tennessee 2
McKenzie, TN · Private nonprofit · #154 nationally
55.3Value- Earnings
- $62,967
- Net price
- $13,267
- Federal debt
- $30,938
- Graduation rate
- 29%
- Earnings
- $53,399
- Net price
- $12,192
- Federal debt
- $21,500
- Graduation rate
- 53%
- Earnings
- $53,376
- Net price
- $9,049
- Federal debt
- $21,036
- Graduation rate
- 42%
- Rank in Tennessee 5
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN · Public · #198 nationally
49.8Value- Earnings
- $53,565
- Net price
- $15,026
- Federal debt
- $20,500
- Graduation rate
- 56%
- Earnings
- $51,032
- Net price
- $15,965
- Federal debt
- $18,000
- Graduation rate
- 45%
- Earnings
- $46,142
- Net price
- $10,211
- Federal debt
- $19,199
- Graduation rate
- 51%
- Rank in Tennessee 8
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, TN · Public · #315 nationally
31.7Value- Earnings
- $43,998
- Net price
- $14,208
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Graduation rate
- 55%
- Earnings
- $46,062
- Net price
- $12,154
- Federal debt
- $25,000
- Graduation rate
- 34%
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 Tennessee
What are the best colleges for criminal justice in Tennessee?
By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Tennessee colleges for criminal justice are Middle Tennessee State University (value score 60.1), Bethel University-Tennessee (value score 55.3) and University of Memphis (value score 50.5). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.
Which Tennessee college has the highest earnings for criminal justice graduates?
Bethel University-Tennessee: its criminal justice graduates have median earnings of $62,967 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
What is the most affordable criminal justice college in Tennessee on this list?
Austin Peay State University has the lowest average net price of the ranked Tennessee colleges, $9,049 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.
How many Tennessee colleges are ranked for criminal justice?
9 Tennessee 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 Tennessee.