by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 3 U.S. colleges awarded 30 degrees and certificates in Criminal Law and Procedure. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 97% of graduates. Graduates earn a median $78,306 one year after completing, rising to $107,082 after four years.
Studying Criminal Law and Procedure involves the study of An Advanced, Professional Study Of The Law, Policies, And Regulations Affecting Criminal Law And Trial Procedures. Examples: [Federal Criminal Practice And Procedure].
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings. Data as of: July 2026.
Nationwide, criminal law and procedure draws strong interest, with 30 degrees awarded annually. 3 colleges award criminal law and procedure degrees, an average of 10 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 15.
By level, the 30 awards include 29 master’s degrees and 1 doctorates.
Women earned 67% of criminal law and procedure degrees and certificates in the latest year (20 of 30). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (23) and Hispanic or Latino (2), and international students earned 1.
The most common criminal law and procedure credential is the master’s degree: 29 of the 30 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to criminal law and procedure call most for Speaking, Reading Comprehension and Active Listening, and for knowledge of Law and Government, English Language and Education and Training, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Written Comprehension and Oral Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a criminal law and procedure degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 29 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 1 |
First professional degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to criminal law and procedure, at 43.2%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| First professional degree | 43.2% |
| Doctoral degree | 40.6% |
| Master’s degree | 13.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 1.8% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 0.9% |
Source: O*NET Online.
2 occupations are related to Criminal Law and Procedure, with an average median salary of $82,454; the strongest outlook belongs to Lawyers, at 2.6% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Adjunct Law Professor, Media Law Faculty Member, Labor Law Professor and Criminal Law Professor.
The occupation related to criminal law and procedure with the most projected jobs is Law Teachers, Postsecondary, at 1,017,747.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,017,747 | -2.9% |
| Lawyers | 155,305 | 2.6% |
Criminal Law and Procedure graduates earn a median $78,306 one year after completing their program, $107,082 after four years and $107,285 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $78,306 |
| 4 years | $107,082 |
| 5 years | $107,285 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The same occupation is also the highest-paying one related to criminal law and procedure, with a median salary of $91,726.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Law Teachers, Postsecondary | $91,726 |
| Lawyers | $73,181 |
Criminal Law and Procedure has 19 similar majors in the Legal Professions field, which together award 12,148 degrees a year; the largest are Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General (5,066), Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies, Other (1,551) and Programs for Foreign Lawyers (1,380). Browse all Legal Professions majors or the full list of college majors.
More about our data sources and methodologies.