by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2020-2021, criminal justice was the 27th most popular major nationwide with 32,891 degrees awarded. This represents a 2.1% reduction in criminal justice degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 33,568.
Our 2023 Best Criminal Justice Schools ranking analyzes 341 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for criminal justice students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of criminal justice programs later in this article.
Criminal Justice majors are found most commonly in careers in which talking to others to convey information effectively is important. Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents and giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times are all required skills for careers related to this major.
New students will need to have completed high school or a GED program and each school will have their own minimum GPA and SAT/ACT test requirements. Once you obtain your degree, additional criminal justice certifications required to pursue a career in this field.
Criminal Justice degree levels vary. You can spend many years getting as high as a in criminal justice to something that takes less time like a . Criminal Justice programs can take anywhere between one to four or more years for a full-time student to complete.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to criminal justice, with approximately 43.4% of workers getting one. See the the most common levels of education for criminal justice workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 38.1% |
| Master’s Degree | 18.1% |
| High School Diploma | 14.4% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 10.4% |
| Some College Courses | 7.3% |
About 73.0% of workers in careers related to criminal justice obtain at least bachelor's degrees. The chart below shows what degree level those who work in criminal justice have obtained.
This of course varies depending on which criminal justice career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your criminal justice degree? Criminal Justice careers are expected to grow 8.0% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to criminal justice.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Managers | 1,071,700 | 8.0% |
| Police and Detective Supervisors | 111,600 | 6.6% |
| Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Professors | 19,400 | 12.1% |
As you might expect, salaries for criminal justice graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for criminal justice graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers criminal justice grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Managers | $115,590 |
| Police and Detective Supervisors | $93,100 |
| Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Professors | $72,390 |
With over 1,237 different criminal justice degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased criminal justice school rankings to help you with this.
Criminal Justice is one of 13 different types of Criminal Justice & Corrections programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Criminal Justice Studies | 46,814 |
| Criminal Justice & Police Science | 22,722 |
| Corrections | 4,039 |
| Other Corrections & Criminal Justice | 3,675 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections, General | 1,133 |
