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2023 Criminal Justice Studies Degree Guide

Criminal Justice Studies Degrees On The Rise

#16 Most Popular Major
46.8k Degrees Awarded
1.2% Increase in Graduates

Criminal 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.

2023 Best Colleges for Criminal Justice Studies
2023 Overall Best Criminal Justice Studies Colleges >

Best Criminal Justice Studies Schools by Degree

Associate Degrees in Criminal Justice Studies
Bachelor's Degrees in Criminal Justice Studies
Master's Degrees in Criminal Justice Studies
Doctorate Degrees in Criminal Justice Studies

 

Requirements for Getting a Degree in Criminal Justice Studies

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.

Prior Education for a Criminal Justice Studies Program

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.

Types of Criminal Justice Studies Degrees

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.

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The education level required is different depending on the criminal justice studies career you are seeking.

Career Opportunities for A Degree In Criminal Justice Studies Graduate

Average Number of Jobs
77.9k Avg. Related Jobs Salary
3% Growth Job Outlook 2016-26

Growth Projected for Criminal Justice Studies Careers

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%

How Much Money Do Criminal Justice Studies Grads Make?

As you might expect, salaries for criminal justice studies graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

Highest Paid Criminal Justice Studies Careers

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

Getting Your Criminal Justice Studies Degree

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.

Study Areas in Criminal Justice Studies

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

View All Criminal Justice Studies Related Majors >

References

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