Key takeaway: 1,612 of the 2,817 institutions in our directory that offer fully online programs report completions in criminal justice, corrections, and related protective-services fields to the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS CIP 43 families). With that many options, the useful questions are which concentration fits the job you want, which degree level that job expects, and whether a program's outcomes hold up. The schools below are ordered by BOC Score.
Criminal justice is one of the most common online majors because much of it is reading, writing, and analysis, which translate well to online study. It is also a field where the right degree depends heavily on the agency or role you are aiming at, so start with the destination.
Schools to Compare
These accredited institutions report criminal justice or related protective-services completions and at least one program completable entirely online. Ranked by BOC Score within that group.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,588
Avg net price
$6,541/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 172
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$91,885
Avg net price
$14,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 99%
- Programs offered: 105
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
42%
Graduation rate
85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$80,838
Avg net price
$14,741/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,774
Out‑of‑state$50,974
Key stats
- Retention rate: 93%
- Programs offered: 153
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$90,768
Avg net price
$16,665/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 95%
- Programs offered: 84
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$68,726
Avg net price
$13,936/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 94%
- Programs offered: 241
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$61,675
Avg net price
$11,297/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 96%
- Programs offered: 148
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$78,988
Avg net price
$13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 118
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
46%
Graduation rate
69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$64,403
Avg net price
$10,440/yr
TuitionIn‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Key stats
- Retention rate: 86%
- Programs offered: 121
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$86,863
Avg net price
$21,565/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 97%
- Programs offered: 117
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
80%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$84,276
Avg net price
$16,504/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 90%
- Programs offered: 65
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
91%
Graduation rate
70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$62,951
Avg net price
$6,555/yr
TuitionIn‑state$7,470
Out‑of‑state$20,070
Key stats
- Retention rate: 84%
- Programs offered: 78
Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$75,121
Avg net price
$19,857/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 96%
- Programs offered: 180
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Two IPEDS fields produced this list: completions reported under the criminal justice and protective-services CIP families (CIP 43) and the distance education program flag from the Institutional Characteristics survey (IC 2024). Those fields confirm that a school awards degrees in the field and runs fully online programs. They do not confirm that a specific criminal justice program is offered online, which concentrations are current, or how a program is taught. Check the school’s catalog for the program and its delivery format before you apply.
Choose a concentration by the job you want
- Law enforcement and policing. Criminal procedure, constitutional law, ethics, and community policing. Hiring and academy standards for officers are set by each agency and each state’s peace officer standards board, so check the departments you would apply to. The how to become a police officer guide walks through the steps.
- Corrections and community supervision. Institutional corrections, probation, parole, and reentry. See the corrections program guide.
- Criminology and crime analysis. The research side: why crime happens, how it is measured, and how agencies use data to deploy resources. See the criminology guide and the crime analysis guide.
- Homeland security and emergency management. Risk, preparedness, and response across agencies. See the homeland security guide and the emergency management guide.
- Cybercrime and digital forensics. Investigation of crimes that leave digital evidence, a concentration that leans technical. See the cybercrime guide and the digital forensics guide.
- Legal studies. Courts, legal research, and paralegal work rather than enforcement. See the legal studies guide and the paralegal guide.
Which degree level the job expects
- Associate degree. A common entry credential for local law enforcement and corrections, and a base that transfers into a bachelor’s.
- Bachelor’s degree. The usual expectation for many state and federal agency roles, for probation and parole work in many jurisdictions, and for analyst positions. It is also the step most often tied to promotion.
- Master’s degree. Aimed at supervisors, administrators, analysts, and people who want to teach or do research. It pays off most for people who already work in the field.
Requirements vary by agency and state, and they change. Before you enroll, read two or three current job postings for the role you want and note the education line.
What to check in an online criminal justice program
- Institutional accreditation. Agencies and graduate programs look for regional or national accreditation from an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Every school in our directory meets that bar; confirm it for any school you find elsewhere.
- Faculty with field experience. Look for a mix of researchers and former practitioners, and ask how many courses practitioners teach.
- Internships and field placements. Ask whether the program arranges placements near you or expects you to find your own, and whether a placement is required.
- Transfer and prior training credit. Some schools evaluate police academy or military training for college credit. Ask for a written evaluation before you enroll. Our list of online colleges that accept transfer credits is a starting point.
- Outcomes. Use the graduation, retention, and earnings figures on each card, which come from College Scorecard and IPEDS, to compare schools.
Quick Answers
How many online colleges offer criminal justice degrees?
In our directory, 1,612 institutions with fully online programs report criminal justice, corrections, or related protective-services completions (IPEDS CIP 43 families). Confirm that the specific program you want is offered online at each school.
Do you need a degree to become a police officer?
It depends on the agency. Minimum education requirements for officers are set by each department and by the state’s peace officer standards board. Some agencies accept a high school diploma, others require college credit or a degree, and some weigh a degree in hiring or promotion. Check the agencies you plan to apply to.
Is an online criminal justice degree respected?
Employers look at the institution’s accreditation and your record, not the delivery format. Most accredited universities award the same degree to online and on-campus students.
What is the difference between criminal justice and criminology?
Criminal justice studies the system that responds to crime: police, courts, and corrections. Criminology studies crime itself: its causes, patterns, and measurement. Many programs combine both; the concentration you choose decides the balance.
Next steps
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Completions survey (CIP 43 criminal justice and protective-services families) and Institutional Characteristics survey (IC 2024) distance education program flags (DISTPGS); directory counts as of the September 2026 data refresh.
