by our College Data Analytics TeamCriminal Justice Studies was the 16th most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 46,814 degrees in this year alone. This represents a 1.2% increase in criminal justice studies degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 46,252.
Our 2023 Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools ranking analyzes 464 of these schools to determine the best overall colleges for criminal justice studies students. Explore this or one of our many other custom criminal justice studies rankings further below.
A major in criminal justice studies prepares you for careers in which talking to others to convey information effectively is crucial. Required skills include 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 and using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
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. Specific criminal justice studies careers may require a certain level of degree attainment or additional certifications beyond that.
There are various different levels of criminal justice studies degrees. You can spend many years getting as high as a in criminal justice studies to something that takes less time like a . Depending on the criminal justice studies degree you choose, obtaining your diploma can take anwhere from 1 to 4+ years.
| 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 master's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to criminal justice studies, with approximately 14.1% of workers getting one. People currently working in careers related to criminal justice studies tend obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 38.7% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 14.1% |
| Some College Courses | 13.8% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 10.2% |
| Master’s Degree | 10.0% |
The chart below shows what degree level those who work in criminal justice studies have obtained.
The education level required is different depending on the criminal justice studies career you are seeking.
Want a job when you graduate with your criminal justice studies degree? Criminal Justice Studies careers are expected to grow 3.3% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to criminal justice studies.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Police and Detective Supervisors | 111,600 | 6.6% |
| Correctional Officer Supervisors | 41,700 | -7.7% |
| Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Professors | 19,400 | 12.1% |
As you might expect, salaries for criminal justice studies graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for criminal justice studies graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers criminal justice studies grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Police and Detective Supervisors | $93,100 |
| Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Professors | $72,390 |
| Correctional Officer Supervisors | $68,350 |
With over 1,575 different criminal justice studies 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 studies school rankings to help you with this.
Criminal Justice Studies is one of 13 different types of Criminal Justice & Corrections programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Criminal Justice | 32,891 |
| Criminal Justice & Police Science | 22,722 |
| Corrections | 4,039 |
| Other Corrections & Criminal Justice | 3,675 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections, General | 1,133 |
