Criminal Justice major
Criminal Justice: courses, careers, and where to study
Criminal Justice studies the institutions and practices of policing, courts, and corrections, preparing graduates for law enforcement, probation, corrections, and law school.
A Criminal Justice major covers the structure of policing, courts, and corrections; criminology theory; criminal law and procedure; victimology; juvenile justice; and corrections. Programs often offer concentrations in Law Enforcement, Forensic Science, Cybercrime, Homeland Security, or Pre-Law. Many include an internship with a local police department, sheriff's office, court, prosecutor, or correctional facility.
Graduates work in federal, state, and local law enforcement, corrections, probation/parole, private security, victim advocacy, and corporate compliance. The major is also a common pre-law track.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Criminal Justice maps to CIP 43.0100, Criminal Justice and Corrections, General, within the HOMELAND SECURITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIREFIGHTING AND RELATED PROTECTIVE SERVICES family. The official definition:
A program of study that focuses on the general study of criminal justice and corrections. Includes instruction in criminology, criminal justice, correctional science, forensic science, law enforcement, psychology, and ethics.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Criminal Justice is awarded as
Of the 2,146 Criminal Justice credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate29%623
- Associate37%789
- Bachelor's33%703
- Graduate1%31
CampusPin does not have enough states reporting this field to say whether the mix changes from state to state. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Introduction to the criminal justice system
- Criminology theory
- Policing and police administration
- Criminal law and procedure
- Corrections and rehabilitation
- Juvenile justice
- Forensic methods (depending on track)
- Research methods and statistics
Typical careers
- Police Officer / Detective
- Federal Agent (FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, ICE)
- Probation / Parole Officer
- Corrections Officer
- Forensic Analyst
- Lawyer (with JD)
Typical salary range: $45,000–$72,000 early-career (BLS, 2024 police and sheriff's patrol officers median $76,290)Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Criminal Justice, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, All Other | $136,550 | 106,700 | +4.5% | Bachelor's degree |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | $76,290 | 53,700 | +3.1% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | $57,970 | 30,100 | -7.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $105,980 | 10,900 | +2.9% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other | $60,130 | 10,600 | +3.5% | Associate's degree |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $93,580 | 7,800 | -0.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers | $76,310 | 4,300 | -2.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Forensic Science Technicians | $67,440 | 2,900 | +12.8% | Bachelor's degree |
| Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary | $71,470 | 1,200 | +2% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 9 of these 9 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Criminal Justice does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Criminal Justice major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Criminal Justice program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Criminal Justice department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Criminal Justice program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Criminal Justice credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- American InterContinental University SystemAZ · 623
- Ivy Tech Community CollegeIN · 280
- Purdue University GlobalIN · 244
- University of ArizonaAZ · 138
- CUNY Queensborough Community CollegeNY · 100
- Loyola University ChicagoIL · 78
- American InterContinental University-AtlantaGA · 69
- Modesto Junior CollegeCA · 67
- Northwest Career CollegeNV · 56
- Middle Georgia State UniversityGA · 54
- Ozarks Technical Community CollegeMO · 37
- Pikes Peak State CollegeCO · 33
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Criminal Justice credentials were awarded
One state has a distinct enough set of Criminal Justice colleges to be worth its own page.
Search Criminal Justice schools by state
Related majors
Sociology
Sociology studies social institutions, group behavior, inequality, and culture, preparing graduates for research, policy, social services, and graduate school in law or social work.
Psychology
Psychology majors study human cognition, behavior, and emotion, preparing graduates for clinical, research, business, and human-services careers (and graduate school in clinical, counseling, and I/O psych).
Political Science
Political Science studies governments, political behavior, and policy, preparing graduates for law school, public service, journalism, and policy research.
Still deciding between Criminal Justice and something else?
These guides put Criminal Justiceside by side with the major it is most often confused with, using the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk to show where the two actually lead.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Criminal Justice degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Protective Service careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Science & Research careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Criminal Justice degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Criminal Justice path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.