For many professionals looking to add an online legal or law enforcement degree to their resume in order to advance in his or her field, affordability and time may determine which school they will choose. Now, a leading publisher of online college rankings and reviews has released its new list of the nation's most affordable online institutions for people looking to earn an online masters degree in criminal justice or security. According to Get Educated, state colleges were among some of the most affordable, including Fort Hays State University, which ranked number 1 for its online masters degree in liberal arts studies with a major in criminal justice. An online graduate degree at Fort Hays averages slightly more than $7,000. New Mexico State University came in at number 2 in overall affordability at $10,318, with American Public University ranking third as the most affordable online masters degree for criminal justice studies. The nation's largest for-profit online school, the University of Phoenix, ranked as one of the most expensive, costing criminal justice students more than $27,000 for the advanced degree. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that job opportunities for private detectives and investigators are expected to grow by 22% through the end of the decade. |