Best Colleges and Universities for Criminal Justice Degrees Published: Nov 5, 2021 Updated: Feb 5, 2024
The best criminal justice degree programs are those with rich histories of influence, proven through the work produced by the program’s faculty and alumni. Beyond demonstrating scholarly impact in the field, the best criminal justice degree programs maximize your opportunities to interact with outstanding criminal justice faculty.
In This Article: The Best Colleges and Universities for Criminal Justice Degrees The Best Criminal Justice Schools in Your State What can I do with a criminal justice major? Is criminal justice a good major? What courses will I take as a criminal justice major? What jobs can I do with a Criminal justice major? Is a research university right for me? Is a liberal arts college right for me? Is an online college right for me? Career Outlook for Students with Criminal Justice Degree Learn More About Criminal Justice Ask A Question A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice is an excellent starting point for a career in policing, corrections, homeland security, and a host of other important roles related to crime, justice, and public safety. As a criminal justice major, you’ll study three primary subject areas—law enforcement, corrections, and the courts.
Majoring in criminal justice is a good starting point if you plan to study policing, law, administration of justice, counter-terrorism, and more. You’ll study related subjects including criminal psychology, rehabilitation, and sociology. And if you’re interested in eventually going to law school and becoming a practicing attorney, majoring in criminal justice could be a good starting point.
A degree in criminal justice will give you the knowledge and qualifications to contribute to public safety, national security, social justice, and a host of other related fields.
For an in-depth look at how socioeconomic factors affect crime rates, take a look at our interview with influential criminologist, Dr. Richard Rosenfeld .
Degree popularity: Criminal justice bachelor’s degrees are the 16th most popular undergraduate degrees across all student demographics. It is slightly more popular among men. Crimianl justice degrees rank 6th among Black men, 8th for Black women, 8th among Hispanic men, and 15th for Hispanic women, according to the number of degree earners reported by the National Center for Educational Statistics .
Featured Programs Frequently Asked Questions About Criminal Justice Bachelor’s Degrees What can I do with a criminal justice major? Earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice can open numerous professional doors. As noted above, the study of criminal justice is divided into three key areas: law enforcement, corrections, and the court system. Within each of these areas, there are countless avenues to a career. Whether you wish to work in a police precinct, for the Department of Homeland Security, as part of a private security firm, as a private detective, or in a specialized field like the prevention of cybercrime, majoring in criminal justice can help you get there.
Today, top influencers in Criminal Justice are working on felon disenfranchisement , place-based criminology , alternative drug policies , and much more.
Back to Top Is criminal justice a good major? Criminal justice is a popular major because it can provide pathways into countless fields and career opportunities. If you’re looking for a well-paying and secure job, a criminal justice degree is a great place to start. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019, the average median pay for police officers and detectives was $65,170. For Detectives and Criminal Investigators , that figure was $81,920 in 2018. And if you parlay your criminal justice major into a postgraduate law degree, note that lawyers , in 2019, earned a well-above-average median pay of $122,960.
Back to Top What courses will I take as a criminal justice major? Once you’ve declared your major in criminal justice, you will likely be required to complete a set of core courses in a number of related subject areas. While your concentration will give you a chance to choose from a wide range of highly-specialized criminal justice electives, there are a number of common courses that most Criminal justice majors will be required to take, including:
Introduction to Criminology International Law Criminal Psychology Race and the State Comparative Criminal Law Big Data and Surveillance Transformative Justice Capital Punishment in America
Back to Top What jobs can I do with a Criminal justice major? With a degree in criminal justice, you could qualify for an array of opportunities in law enforcement, security, forensics, counter-terrorism, corrections, and much more. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the following top jobs in criminal justice:
Back to Top Frequently Asked Questions About Research Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Online Colleges In pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you will need to choose between three kinds of schools: research universities, liberal arts colleges, and online colleges.
Is a research university right for me? Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students.
Do you prefer a larger university setting , such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines.
Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel.
Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well.Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance. Back to Top Learn more about research universities by reading about the best research universities in the US .
Is a liberal arts college right for me? Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree.
Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students.Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom).
Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers.Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.
Back to Top Learn more about liberal arts colleges by reading about the best liberal arts colleges in the US .
Is an online college right for me? Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available.
Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online.
Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college.
Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands.Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain.
Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving.If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc.
The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates . In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions.
If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer , or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you . In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.
Back to Top The Best Colleges and Universities for Criminal Justice Degrees University of Florida University of Washington Boston University Florida State University Boston College Go to full ranking
John Jay College of Criminal Justice College of the Ozarks Southern University at New Orleans San Francisco State University California State University, Long Beach Go to full ranking
Florida State University Sam Houston State University University of Cincinnati Portland State University University of Central Florida Go to full ranking
Career Outlook for Students with Criminal Justice Degree Go to Degree Finder tool Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration –Select a similar degree– Corrections Administration. Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other. Corrections. Criminal Justice and Corrections, General. Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration. Criminal Justice/Police Science. Criminal Justice/Safety Studies. Criminalistics and Criminal Science. Critical Incident Response/Special Police Operations. Critical Infrastructure Protection. Cultural/Archaelogical Resources Protection. Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism. Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation. Forensic Science and Technology. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other. Homeland Security, Other. Juvenile Corrections. Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysis. Law Enforcement Investigation and Interviewing. Law Enforcement Record-Keeping and Evidence Management. Maritime Law Enforcement. Protective Services Operations. Securities Services Administration/Management. Security and Loss Prevention Services. Suspension and Debarment Investigation. Terrorism and Counterterrorism Operations. Degree Level: Bachelor's Location: The U.S. (Private Schools) Avg. Cost of Degree*: $10,534 Avg. Expenses*: $16,390 Avg. Starting Salary*: $35,456 Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $46,150 Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 11 years Job Growth: 3.31% Number of Jobs: 1,382,700 * denotes ‘annually’ ** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’ Career Salaries Career Job Growth Avg. Salary Managers, All Other 3.35% $106,040 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives 3.12% $84,600 Transit and Railroad Police 2.94% $75,399 Detectives and Criminal Investigators 1.49% $73,715 Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary 2.43% $70,208 First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers -2.74% $63,348 Forensic Science Technicians 12.43% $61,676 Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers 3.29% $60,664 Private Detectives and Investigators 6.01% $54,928 First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers -3.86% $52,264
Show More Jobs Average Career Salaries Bottom 10% Median Top 10% $46,885 $68,700 $102,208
Promising Job Markets State Cost of Living Avg. Salary #2 California 26% higher than average $108,645 #3 Illinois 7% higher than average $78,640 #4 New York 5% higher than average $84,489 #5 Ohio 14% higher than average $67,925 #6 Michigan 15% higher than average $66,857 #7 Wisconsin 7% higher than average $73,181 #8 Colorado 3% higher than average $80,316 #9 Minnesota 4% higher than average $73,386 #10 Virginia 5% higher than average $72,717 #11 New Jersey 13% higher than average $86,421 #12 Pennsylvania 5% higher than average $72,052 #13 Washington 7% higher than average $80,382 #14 Texas 10% higher than average $66,933 #15 Iowa 9% higher than average $67,661 #16 Delaware 2% higher than average $75,718 #17 Alaska 23% higher than average $89,842 #18 Missouri 16% higher than average $60,444 #19 Utah 4% higher than average $68,839 #20 Arizona 5% higher than average $67,993 #21 Nebraska 6% higher than average $66,308 #22 Nevada 5% higher than average $73,013 #23 Oregon 11% higher than average $76,510 #24 Oklahoma 13% higher than average $59,386 #25 North Dakota average $68,570 #26 North Carolina 11% higher than average $60,069 #27 Alabama 13% higher than average $58,080 #28 New Mexico 7% higher than average $61,803 #29 Montana 3% higher than average $63,957 #30 Massachusetts 24% higher than average $81,427 #31 West Virginia 11% higher than average $58,368 #32 Rhode Island 20% higher than average $78,352 #33 Georgia 13% higher than average $56,830 #34 South Dakota 7% higher than average $60,511 #35 Connecticut 18% higher than average $77,176 #36 Florida 6% higher than average $61,547 #37 Idaho 7% higher than average $60,296 #38 Wyoming 2% higher than average $63,249 #39 Maryland 18% higher than average $75,361 #40 Kentucky 14% higher than average $54,671 #41 New Hampshire 13% higher than average $71,619 #42 Louisiana 9% higher than average $57,473 #43 Kansas 9% higher than average $57,956 #44 South Carolina 8% higher than average $57,871 #45 Vermont 13% higher than average $70,984 #46 Tennessee 14% higher than average $53,826 #47 Arkansas 16% higher than average $52,113 #48 Indiana 11% higher than average $54,940 #49 District of Columbia 49% higher than average $90,263 #50 Mississippi 18% higher than average $48,269 #51 Maine 9% higher than average $62,408 #52 Hawaii 40% higher than average $79,040
Show More States Top Industries Industry Avg. Salary Managers, All Other $106,040 First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives $84,600 Transit and Railroad Police $75,399 Detectives and Criminal Investigators $73,715 Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary $70,208 First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers $63,348 Forensic Science Technicians $61,676 Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers $60,664 Private Detectives and Investigators $54,928 First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers $52,264
Show More Industries The Best Criminal Justice Schools in Your State Back to Top Learn More About Criminal Justice If you want to know more about criminal justice, then check out our related content:
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