by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Criminal Justice and Corrections, General explores A Program Of Study That Focuses On The General Study Of Criminal Justice And Corrections. Includes Instruction In Criminology, Criminal Justice, Correctional Science, Forensic Science, Law Enforcement, Psychology, And Ethics. Read on to learn the key facts every criminal justice and corrections, general major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering criminal justice and corrections, general programs.
Across the country, criminal justice and corrections, general draws strong interest, with 2,175 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Criminal Justice and Corrections, General Schools ranking analyzes these 64 schools to determine the best overall colleges for criminal justice and corrections, general students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of criminal justice and corrections, general programs later in this article.
Programs in Criminal Justice and Corrections, General build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations criminal justice and corrections, general graduates commonly enter.
The skill set developed in a criminal justice and corrections, general program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a criminal justice and corrections, general major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several criminal justice and corrections, general degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 36 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 799 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 709 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 631 |
People currently working in careers related to criminal justice and corrections, general tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 35.0% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 29.6% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 11.5% |
| Some college courses | 10.6% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 7.3% |
| Master’s degree | 3.3% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.7% |
| Doctoral degree | 0.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.2% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 0.1% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in criminal justice and corrections, general careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in criminal justice and corrections, general opens doors to many career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to criminal justice and corrections, general.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to criminal justice and corrections, general.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Police Identification and Records Officers | 532,882 | 7.1% |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | 514,818 | 8.7% |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | 469,816 | 14.5% |
| Managers, All Other | 468,025 | 6.2% |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | 449,456 | 2.0% |
| Customs and Border Protection Officers | 349,535 | -1.2% |
| Intelligence Analysts | 313,116 | 11.7% |
| Compliance Managers | 310,203 | 13.0% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of criminal justice and corrections, general graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $40,812 |
| 4 years | $44,073 |
| 5 years | $49,815 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for criminal justice and corrections, general graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers criminal justice and corrections, general grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Wind Energy Development Managers | $169,952 |
| Loss Prevention Managers | $165,723 |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | $122,567 |
| Compliance Managers | $117,178 |
| Remote Sensing Technicians | $99,834 |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | $99,321 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other | $95,957 |
| Managers, All Other | $95,684 |
With 64 different criminal justice and corrections, general programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased criminal justice and corrections, general school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in criminal justice and corrections, general, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | 41,895 |
| Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration | 26,997 |
| Criminal Justice/Police Science | 20,474 |
| Corrections | 4,967 |
| Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other | 4,327 |
| Securities Services Administration/Management | 662 |
| Security and Loss Prevention Services | 494 |
| Law Enforcement Investigation and Interviewing | 300 |
| Corrections Administration | 97 |
| Juvenile Corrections | 68 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
