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Major · Homeland Security, Law Enforcement & Protective Services

The academic side of criminal justice, policing, and corrections

Criminal Justice and Corrections, General covers criminology, correctional science, forensic science, law enforcement, and ethics. About 1,490 degrees are awarded annually across 68 colleges — a small program compared to the broader Criminal Justice field. Most careers in this space list a high school diploma as the typical entry credential, which changes the ROI calculus for the degree.

Schools offering
68
Annual completions
1,490
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$52k

About this major

Criminal Justice and Corrections, General is explicitly framed by its CIP definition as the "general study of criminal justice and corrections" — a broad survey rather than a specialist track. Coursework typically spans criminology, correctional science, law enforcement operations, forensic science, applied psychology, legal procedure, and ethics in the justice system. Students cycle through the theoretical and practical dimensions of the criminal justice apparatus: how policing works, how offenders move through correctional systems, what forensic investigation involves, and how law and ethics shape everything in between.

The major attracts students who want to work in or around the justice system — whether that means policing, correctional administration, court services, federal agencies, or adjacent roles like forensic support. Because the program covers multiple subfields rather than drilling into one, it suits students who are still deciding which branch of criminal justice interests them most, or who want a generalist credential for government employment.

On the career side, the most common linked occupations include police and sheriff's patrol officers ($76,290 median wage), detectives and criminal investigators ($93,580), and correctional officers ($57,970). Forensic science technicians represent a faster-growing path at 12.8% projected job growth, though that role typically requires more science-intensive preparation than a general CJ program provides. The scale of this program is worth knowing: about 1,490 degrees are awarded annually across 68 colleges, making this a small offering compared to Criminal Justice/Safety Studies (43.0104), which runs over 33,000 completions a year with similar career outcomes.

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
Managers, all other $137k +4.5% Bachelor's degree
Police and sheriff's patrol officers $76k +3.1% High school diploma or equivalent
Correctional officers and jailers $58k -7.8% High school diploma or equivalent
First-line supervisors of police and detectives $106k +2.9% High school diploma or equivalent
Detectives and criminal investigators $94k -0.7% High school diploma or equivalent
Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other $60k +3.5% Associate's degree
First-line supervisors of correctional officers $76k -2.8% High school diploma or equivalent
Forensic science technicians $67k +12.8% Bachelor's 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

You may thrive here if you are genuinely drawn to understanding how criminal justice systems work — not just the front-facing law enforcement role but the full chain from policing through corrections to forensic science. You may also fit well here if you are targeting a government or public service career where a bachelor's credential supports promotion eligibility, competitive federal hiring, or supervisory advancement (first-line supervisors of police and detectives earn a $105,980 median wage), even if the entry-level role itself does not require a degree. This program also suits students who want broad exposure across criminal justice subfields before specializing further in graduate study or agency-specific training.

Think twice if your goal is to become a forensic science technician — the 12.8% projected growth in that occupation is real, but the role typically requires a natural science or forensic science degree rather than a general criminal justice program, and the distinction matters at hiring time. Think twice if a $7,300 gap in five-year median earnings between associate's and bachelor's completers is not enough return to justify an additional two years and cost — the ROI arithmetic here is genuinely closer than in most fields, and some departments treat a high school diploma the same as a degree at entry. And think twice if corrections specifically is your target: correctional officer employment is projected to decline 7.8%, a meaningful demand signal in any honest career assessment.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Criminal Justice and Corrections, General

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

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
American InterContinental University System Chandler, AZ 371 252 623
University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 0 136 136
CUNY Queensborough Community College Bayside, NY 100 0 100
American InterContinental University-Atlanta Atlanta, GA 37 32 69
Modesto Junior College Modesto, CA 67 0 67
Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL 0 59 59
Middle Georgia State University Macon, GA 9 45 54
Ozarks Technical Community College Springfield, MO 37 0 37
Northwest Career College Las Vegas, NV 34 0 34
St Clair County Community College Port Huron, MI 27 0 27
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

Criminology

8,556 completions/yr

Criminal Justice/Police Science

7,520 completions/yr

Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other

3,184 completions/yr

Forensic Science and Technology

2,398 completions/yr

Homeland Security

1,355 completions/yr

Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management

1,270 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

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

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

Common questions

What do Criminal Justice and Corrections, General majors actually study?
The curriculum covers criminology, criminal justice systems, correctional science, law enforcement operations, forensic science fundamentals, psychology of crime, and ethics in the justice system. It is a broad survey program by design — the CIP definition explicitly frames it as the "general study" of the field rather than a concentrated track. Courses range from policing theories and correctional administration to crime analysis and legal procedure. Students looking for a deeper specialization in one area often move to a more focused program within the same family.
Do I need a bachelor's, or is an associate's enough in this field?
The bachelor's premium here is smaller than in most fields. Five-year median earnings for associate's completers run about $47,147; for bachelor's completers, about $54,447 — a gap of roughly $7,300. For context, that gap is $42,000 in Computer Science and $24,000 in Mechanical Engineering. More notable: the majority of careers associated with this major — police officers, correctional officers, detectives, and supervisory roles — list a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry credential. A degree can help with promotions, competitive hiring, and federal positions, but it is not a gating requirement for entry the way it is in many other fields.
What kinds of jobs do Criminal Justice and Corrections graduates end up in?
The most commonly linked occupations are police and sheriff's patrol officers ($76,290 median wage, 3.1% projected growth), detectives and criminal investigators ($93,580 median, -0.7% growth), and correctional officers and jailers ($57,970 median, -7.8% growth). Supervisory tracks exist: first-line supervisors of police and detectives reach a $105,980 median wage. The highest-ceiling path is general management, where experienced professionals can reach $136,550, though that outcome is far from typical for new graduates. Forensic science technicians are the standout growth story in the data at 12.8% projected growth and a $67,440 median wage, but that role typically requires a science-focused degree rather than a general CJ program.
How competitive is the job market for this major?
The picture is mixed. Correctional officers and jailers show a -7.8% projected decline — one of the steeper negative figures in the associated careers list. Detectives and criminal investigators are also declining slightly at -0.7%. First-line supervisors of corrections are down -2.8%. On the other side, police patrol officers are growing at 3.1% and forensic science technicians at 12.8%. Law enforcement hiring can also be heavily affected by local government budgets, geographic variation, and department-specific cycles that national projections don't fully capture. Students targeting corrections specifically should treat the demand outlook as a meaningful caution.
Is this the right program, or should I look at Criminal Justice/Safety Studies?
This is a smaller, more general variant of the criminal justice family. Criminal Justice/Safety Studies (CIP 43.0104) awards about 33,388 degrees per year — roughly 22 times the volume of this program — and Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration (CIP 43.0103) runs about 20,738 completions annually. Those programs overlap heavily in curriculum and career outcomes. Criminal Justice, General is worth choosing if your school offers it as the primary option or if you want maximum flexibility across subfields. If you have a clearer interest in law enforcement administration, police science, or corrections specifically, a more focused program in the same concentration likely targets that path more directly.
What's a realistic earnings picture after a Criminal Justice degree?
Five-year median earnings across degree levels run about $51,583. Associate's completers average around $47,147 and bachelor's completers around $54,447. The correction to apply is that many graduates enter government and law enforcement roles where wages are determined by civil service scale, seniority, and overtime rather than by credential alone. Police patrol officers reach $76,290 at the median; supervisory positions run $105,980. At the low end, correctional officers sit at $57,970, and that occupational category is declining. The 10-year earnings figure is not available in this data, so long-run trajectory is harder to project from the packet directly.