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Criminal Justice & Corrections

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.

Types of Degrees Criminal Justice & Corrections Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Criminal Justice & Corrections have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	6,240
Associate’s Degree	22,666
Bachelor’s Degree	45,807
Master’s Degree	26,113
Doctor’s Degree	280

What Criminal Justice & Corrections Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Criminal Justice & Corrections build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Criminal Justice & Corrections emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Law and Government — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Criminal Justice & Corrections program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Criminal Justice & Corrections careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Criminal Justice & Corrections professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database	Data base user interface and query software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
Corel WordPerfect Office Suite	Office suite software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates include:

• Investigator
• Law Enforcement Specialist
• Police Officer
• Criminalist
• Identification Officer
• Crime Scene Investigator (CSI)
• Police Investigator
• Police Inspector
• Sheriff’s Detective
• State Trooper
• Border Patrol Agent
• Drug Enforcement Agent
• Deputy Sheriff
• Special Agent
• Special Investigator

What Can You Do With a Criminal Justice & Corrections Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Criminal Justice & Corrections commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Child, Family, and School Social Workers	1.0%	$41,658	$32,345–$50,970

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	32.4%
Bachelor’s degree	29.2%
Some college courses	12.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	11.9%
Postsecondary certificate	7.1%
Master’s degree	3.7%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.0%
Doctoral degree	0.7%
Post-master’s certificate	0.3%
Less than a high school diploma	0.1%
First professional degree	0.1%
Post-doctoral training	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Criminal Justice & Corrections?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 53% women and 47% men among Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	54,306	53.0%
Men	48,241	47.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	43,745	42.7%
Asian	2,503	2.4%
Hispanic or Latino	30,042	29.3%
Black or African American	16,116	15.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	739	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	409	0.4%
Two or More Races	3,581	3.5%
Race Unknown	4,608	4.5%
International Students	804	0.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Criminal Justice & Corrections Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$40,812
4 years	$44,073
5 years	$49,815

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $49,815 — roughly 22% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Criminal Justice & Corrections Programs

Online study are documented by IPEDS for Criminal Justice & Corrections. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	340	171
Bachelor’s	272	196
Master’s	172	73
Doctoral (Research)	9	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Criminal Justice & Corrections Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Criminal Justice & Corrections graduates earn a median of $44,073 four years after completion — roughly 16% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Protective Security Safety Services	134,462
Fire Protection	15,202
Security Science and Technology	9,173
Homeland Security	6,323
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other	1,217
HOMELAND SECURITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIREFIGHTING AND RELATED PROTECTIVE SERVICES	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.