undergradly.
Major · Homeland Security & Protective Services

Specialized corrections and criminal justice paths for students chasing a niche role

Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other (CIP 43.0199) is the catchall for niche programs that don’t map to general criminal justice, corrections, or police science. Coursework varies considerably by institution, so the program’s value depends heavily on the specific track and where it leads after graduation.

Schools offering
83
Annual completions
3,184
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$52k

About this major

Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other is the IPEDS catchall (CIP 43.0199) for instructional programs in corrections and criminal justice that don’t fit a named sub-discipline. The federal definition is deliberately open: any program in the field not listed elsewhere. In practice, that means specialized tracks — corrections technology, juvenile justice concentrations, court administration, restorative justice, criminal justice with applied technology emphasis — that an institution couldn’t shoehorn under Criminal Justice/Safety Studies, Corrections, or Police Science. Specific program content varies considerably by institution, and that variability is the most important fact about this major.

The field draws students aiming for correctional officer roles, probation and parole work, criminal justice administration, and graduate study in criminology or law. Two career destinations show up most often in the data: correctional officers and jailers (median wage $57,970, typical entry education a high school diploma) and postsecondary CJ teachers (median wage $71,470, typical entry a doctoral degree). The credential ladder for this field is unusually steep — line work needs no degree at all, while academic and federal supervisory roles need graduate study.

The 3,184 annual completions sit far below the 33,388 in Criminal Justice/Safety Studies, so most employers will see this degree as a CJ degree with a specialized angle. That works in your favor when the angle matches a real job; it works against you when the title raises a question the resume can’t answer.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Correctional officers and jailers $58k -7.8% High school diploma or equivalent
Criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary $71k +2.0% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$52k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$47k

Bachelor's

$54k

Who this major is for

Students who already know which corner of corrections or criminal justice they want — juvenile justice, court administration, corrections technology, a federal track — and who have found a program whose curriculum matches that target tend to get real value here. The same goes for working corrections staff using the degree for promotion, federal eligibility, or a move into probation and parole. The bachelor’s earnings premium of about $7,300 over the associate’s is meaningful when paired with a clear post-graduation plan and a public-sector employer that rewards the credential.

Reasons for caution stack up when the program is chosen for its name without checking the catalog. Because CIP 43.0199 collects programs that don’t fit other codes, two schools with the same major title can teach quite different curricula. Students aiming for line correctional officer work should weigh that the role’s typical entry education is a high school diploma and that BLS projects -7.8 percent employment change for the occupation — a degree isn’t required and the labor market is contracting. In those cases, the broader Criminal Justice/Safety Studies major or an associate’s plus academy training often delivers the same career outcome with less time and tuition.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH 537 1,059 1,596
University of Phoenix-Arizona Phoenix, AZ 486 0 486
University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL 0 89 89
New Jersey City University Jersey City, NJ 0 74 74
Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX 0 63 63
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice New York, NY 0 60 60
Community College of Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA 57 0 57
Oakland University Rochester Hills, MI 0 55 55
Utica University Utica, NY 0 54 54
Cameron University Lawton, OK 22 19 41
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Criminal Justice/Safety Studies

33,388 completions/yr

Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration

20,738 completions/yr

Criminal Justice/Police Science

7,520 completions/yr

Criminal Justice and Corrections, General

1,490 completions/yr

Corrections

504 completions/yr

Securities Services Administration/Management

264 completions/yr

Law Enforcement Investigation and Interviewing

79 completions/yr

Corrections Administration

75 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

How does this differ from a Criminal Justice/Safety Studies major?
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies (CIP 43.0104) is the dominant version of this field with about 33,388 completions in the dataset, compared with 3,184 for the Other catchall. The general CJ degree is a broad survey of policing, courts, and corrections recognized by every employer in the field. The Other code groups specialized tracks — corrections technology, juvenile justice concentrations, court administration, restorative justice — that schools couldn’t fit under a named CIP. Pick the named major if you want the safest signal on a resume; pick the Other version only when its specific track matches a career target.
Do correctional officers and jailers actually need this degree?
No — the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists typical entry education for correctional officers and jailers as a high school diploma or equivalent, with a median wage of $57,970 and projected job growth of -7.8 percent through the decade. A degree is rarely required to start, but it can matter for federal positions, promotion to supervisory ranks, or transitions into probation, parole, or administrative roles. Treat the degree as a long-game investment in mobility, not as a hiring requirement for the entry-level job.
What do graduates earn five years out?
Median earnings five years after graduation are about $51,583, with bachelor’s holders at $54,447 and associate’s holders at $47,147. That’s modest by national bachelor’s standards and reflects the wage ceiling of public-sector corrections and CJ work. Federal and state positions, hazard premiums, and overtime can push individual earnings well above the median, but the field rarely produces high-percentile incomes.
Which schools graduate the most students in this major?
Southern New Hampshire University dominates with 1,596 completions across associate’s and bachelor’s, followed by University of Phoenix-Arizona at 486 (associate’s only). Brick-and-mortar standouts include University of Alabama at Birmingham, New Jersey City University, Sam Houston State, and CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Two big-volume online programs and a long tail of regional public universities — that distribution reflects the major’s working-adult and in-service-officer demographic.
Is the bachelor’s worth it over the associate’s?
The earnings gap five years out is about $7,300 — bachelor’s grads earn $54,447 versus $47,147 for associate’s grads. Whether the extra two years and tuition are worth it depends on the work you want. Federal agencies, probation/parole supervision, and most administrative tracks favor or require a bachelor’s. If your goal is line corrections work or county-level employment, the associate’s plus academy training often gets you there faster and cheaper.
What should I look at on a school’s page before enrolling?
Read the actual course catalog and the program’s curriculum sheet, not the marketing page. Programs filed under 43.0199 vary widely — some are essentially general CJ degrees with one specialized track, others are technology-heavy or administration-focused. Ask whether the program prepares you for specific certifications, has academy partnerships, or articulates with state corrections agencies for in-service credit. The catalog tells you what you’ll actually study; the title doesn’t.