Best Online Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice Programs

In an online criminal justice degree program, you’ll learn all about the criminal justice system, including how it operates and how laws and society interact and evolve.

With a criminal justice degree, you can pursue a variety of jobs in protective and community services. For example, you might work as a criminal investigator, police officer, or forensic technician.

We ranked the best online criminal justice programs using criteria like affordability, overall academic quality, and reputation.

Read About Our Methodology Here

While the BLS projects only 2% growth in protective services jobs between 2021 and 2031, that still works out to more than 70,000 new jobs.

With a bachelor’s in criminal justice, you could qualify for roles in policing, corrections, firefighting, and security. The table below provides details on some of the most popular career paths in the criminal justice field.

Source: BLS

Accreditation is a formal process in which independent accrediting agencies vet and verify a school’s academic quality against a set of standards. You must attend an accredited school in order to qualify for federal financial aid.

Some academic programs may be programmatically accredited as well.

Though neither the Department of Education nor the Council for Higher Education Accreditation recognizes any specialized criminal justice accreditors, you might want to look for online criminal justice programs that have been certified by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS).

Many top online schools for criminal justice pursue this certification as a way to promote their program quality.

Online colleges for criminal justice use different approaches and curricula, but most bachelor’s programs follow a similar core structure.

Typically, you’ll learn about the origins of the criminal justice system and the nature of crimes and corrections.

Some of the courses you might take for your online criminal justice degree include:

Online criminal justice programs equip you with knowledge of criminal law procedures and policing and correctional practices. You’ll also hone your critical thinking, communication, and situational awareness skills.

While these programs run primarily online, many include practicums you must complete in person.

The growing number of online schools means you can access programs nationwide. Explore below to find criminal justice online degree programs in your state.

Yes. Despite a below-average projected growth rate for protective services jobs in the next decade, there’s still demand for criminal justice majors. The BLS projects over 420,000 annual openings to replace turnover in protective services roles.

Police officers and detectives alone need nearly 70,000 new professionals each year to fill employment gaps.

While you may find certain coursework or assignments challenging, a criminal justice degree is often considered a more accessible degree.

These programs cover various components of criminal law and the criminal justice system, which some students might find hard to understand. The practical and physical elements might prove difficult as well.

With the proper commitment and determination, however, you can succeed in a criminal justice degree program.

A criminal justice degree may include some math but typically not a lot. You might need to take an algebra or introductory calculus course as part of your school’s general education requirements.

You might also encounter some statistics or applied mathematics, but these subjects typically don’t show up until graduate-level studies.

A criminal justice degree can definitely be worth it. While you don’t always need a degree for a criminal justice career, it can open up more doors.

If you’re aiming for a career in policing, for example, an online criminal justice degree will give you more professional flexibility and equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to stand apart from other job candidates.

Along with giving you access to federal positions, a criminal justice degree can improve your odds of securing promotions and leadership positions.