Top 20 Online Schools for Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice

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If you’re a busy adult who wants to start a career in the highly challenging field of criminal justice, an online Bachelor’s Degree program will give you the opportunity of completing the coursework and earning the degree at your own pace, from the comfort of your home.

Bachelor’s Degree programs in Criminal Justice typically combine theories and principles of law, sociology, and psychology and prepare students for employment in the public or private sectors.

An undergraduate program in Criminal Justice is also an option for those who are willing to apply to law school.

If this is the career path you want to pursue, we invite you to read our list of top 20 online schools that offer Bachelor’s Degree programs in Criminal Justice and start applying today.


Granite State College

The online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice provided by Granite State College aims to equip students with essential skills and knowledge in a variety of fields, including criminology, advocacy, constitutional law, corrections, and probations.

The curriculum covers a variety of courses, such as Law & Society, Victims Rights & Advocacy, Crime Prevention and Control, Research Methods, and more.

The 120-credit hour program can be completed in 24-36 months.

Tuition for undergraduate programs is $314 per credit hour for resident students and $365 per credit hour for non-resident students.

Granite State College is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

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University of Cincinnati

The four-year Bachelor of Criminal Justice offered by the University of Cincinnati integrates an interdisciplinary approach to criminal justice and aims to provide students with knowledge and skills in law, criminology, sociology, and psychology.

The 120-credit hour program includes core courses, such as Criminal Investigations, Criminal Punishment, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Introduction to Criminology, Ethics in Criminal Justice, and Introduction to Courts.

The program can be completed in four years.

The University of Cincinnati is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.

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Wilmington University

Located in Castle, Delaware, Wilmington University offers a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice designed to prepare students for a career in probation, corrections, law enforcement or courts.

The program covers core criminal justice classes, such as Survey of Criminal Justice, Constitutional Law, Research Methods in Criminal Justice, and Criminal Law.

Students need to complete 120 credit hours of General Education subjects.

Tuition for undergraduate online programs is $381 per credit hour.

Wilmington University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

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Washington State University

Located in Pullman, Washington State University is a non-profit public research university.

The university offers an online Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice that prepares students for a career in the private and government sectors.

The 120-credit hour program includes classes such as Criminal Law & Criminal Procedure, Criminological Theory, a Senior Seminar in Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice, and more.

Washington State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

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Bellevue University

The online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice offered by Bellevue University includes coursework that focuses on criminal justice topics, such as violence, social issues, events, and crime.

The curriculum covers courses in Policing America, Punishment & Criminal Justice in America, Family Crime & Victimization, Criminal Law, and Evidence & Constitutional Procedure.

Students are required to complete 127 credit hours to earn this degree, including nine-credit hours of the Kirkpatrick Signature Series Requirements that are mandatory in all undergraduate programs.

Undergraduate tuition for online programs is $425 per credit hour.

Bellevue University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

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Pennsylvania State University

Pennsylvania State University offers several online programs, including a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, through its PennState World Campus.

The fully online program covers practical, ethical, and theoretical aspects of crime control.

Graduates of the 120-credit program are prepared for careers in law & corrections, security management, protective services, and crime-related prevention and support.

Core criminal justice courses include Criminology, Introduction to Law, Concepts of Social Science Research, Policing & Corrections in America, Aspects of the Juvenile System, and more.

Pennsylvania State University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

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University of Louisville

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice offered by the University of Louisville is designed to prepare students for a career in the criminal justice system.

Core criminal justice classes include Criminal Procedure, Crime and Justice in the United States, Law Enforcement in the United States, Juvenile Justice, Research Design, Criminal Law & Evidence, and more.

The University of Louisville is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, bachelor, master, specialist, doctoral, and first-professional degrees.

Tuition for undergraduate online courses is $539 per credit hour.

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Sam Houston State University

Sam Houston State University offers a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice.

The curriculum includes classes in Cyber Crime, Criminal Investigation, White Collar Crime, Victimology, Violent Offenders, Global Terrorism, and more.

Students need 121 credit hours for graduation.

Sam Houston State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees.

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University of Colorado-Colorado Springs

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice offered by the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs uses an interdisciplinary approach that covers ethical concepts and academic liberal arts, emphasizing the theoretical or policy knowledge for professions related to criminal justice.

The fully online 120-credit hour program covers core courses such as Violence in Society, Ethics in Criminal Justice, Crime Theory & Cases, Criminal Justice Research Methods, Law Enforcement, and Courts & Judicial Process.

The University of Colorado-Colorado Springs is accredited through the North Central Association of the Higher Learning Commission.

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Arizona State University

Located in Tempe, Arizona State University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice through its Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions.

Students enrolled in this program take core criminal justice classes, such as White Collar Crime, Introduction to Corrections, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Domestic Violence, and more.

Students need at least 120-credit hours to earn this degree.

Arizona State University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.

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Faulkner University

Located in Montgomery, Alabama, Faulkner University offers an online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice designed to prepare students for a career in the criminal justice field.

Students enrolled in this program take classes such as Community Relations, Criminal Law, Criminology, Research Methods for Criminal Justice, Ethics & the Criminal Justice System, and Courts & Courtroom Procedure.

Tuition is $335 per semester hour while the online course fee is $65 per semester hour.

Faulkner University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees.

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Old Dominion University

Old Dominion University offers an online Bachelor of Science and an online Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice designed to help students understand the criminal justice system.

The 120-credit hour program includes core courses such as Criminological Theory, Law and the Criminal Justice System, the Criminal Justice System, and Introduction to Criminology.

Students are also required to complete a Capstone Research Project.

Old Dominion University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master’s, education specialist, and doctoral degrees.

Tuition is $356 per credit hour for Virginia residents and $407 per credit hour for students living outside Virginia.

Online students also pay a technology fee of $30 per credit hour.

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Ohio University

The online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice offered by Ohio University provides students with a technical and theoretical background in criminal justice.

The program includes core courses in Punishment & Society, Civil Liberties, Criminal Justice, Criminology, American Constitutional Law, and Social Psychology of Justice.

The degree is designed for students who have completed an associate’s degree program or a technical program related to criminal justice.

Students are required to complete 120 credit hours.

Ohio University is fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools at the associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.

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Florida International University

Florida International University offers a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice through its Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs.

The program covers subjects such as Introduction to Criminal Justice, Research Methods in Criminal Justice, Criminological Theory, Terrorism & Homeland Security, Comparative Criminal Justice System, and more.

The program aims to equip students with the skills they need to become professionals in a variety of agencies, such as FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, Immigration & Customs Enforcement, and Border Patrol.

Florida International University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Residents students pay a total of $205.57 per credit hour, while non-resident students pay $618.87.

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Indiana State University

The online Bachelor of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice offered by Indiana State University focuses not only on liberal arts education but also equips students with critical thinking skills and communication abilities that prepare them for a career in the criminal justice system.

The curriculum includes criminology courses, such as Ethics in Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice Report Writing, Victimology, Introduction to Corrections, Criminal Delinquency, and Introduction to Court Systems.

Students are also required to complete an internship in Criminology upon completion of this program.

Indiana State University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.

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Liberty University

The online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice offered by Liberty University offers students the possibility of choosing between eight specializations, namely Public Administration, Strategic Intelligence, Business Administration and Management, Crime Scene Investigation, Juvenile Justice, Criminal Psychology, Homeland Security and General.

The online program focuses on honing students’ managerial and leadership skills while teaching them about procedures of criminal law, corrections, and policies.

The 120-credit hour program includes courses such as Criminal Justice Ethics, Criminal Justice, Terrorism, Judicial Process and Administration of Justice Organizations.

Tuition is $23,800 per year.

Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, bachelor, master, specialist, and doctoral degrees.

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Lamar University

The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice offered by Lamar University aims to equip students with skills in forensics, national security, law, and law enforcement administration.

The curriculum includes courses such as Police Problems, Criminal Justice Behavior, Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice, Organized Crime, Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice, Correctional Administration, and more.

Students are required to complete 120 credit hours to earn this degree.

Lamar University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degrees.

Tuition is $248 per credit hour.

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Saint Leo University

Saint Leo University has more than three decades of experience in educating criminal justice professionals.

The university’s online Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice includes two concentrations, namely Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice- Criminalistics and Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice- Homeland Security.

The 120-credit hour program includes core criminal justice classes, such as Introduction to Law & Legal Systems, Substantive Criminal Law, Theories of Criminal Behavior, Survey of the Criminal Justice System, Criminal Justice Ethics, and Law of Criminal Procedures.

Saint Leo University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

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Tiffin University

The Bachelor of Criminal Justice offered by Tiffin University includes two concentrations, namely Criminal Behavior, and Criminalistics.

The 121-credit-hour program provides core courses such as Introduction to Criminal Justice, Criminal Law, Criminology, Research Design, and Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice, just to name a few.

Tiffin University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.

Tuition at Tiffin University is $27,210 per year.

The technology fee is $200 per semester.

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University of the Cumberlands

The online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice offered by the University of the Cumberlands is designed to prepare students for a career in criminal justice or corrections.

Students need 128-credit hours to complete this program.

The program includes core criminal justice courses such as Foundations in Justice Administration, Administrative Law & Management, Criminological Theories in Justice Administration, and Legal & Ethical Issues in Justice Administration.

Tuition is $199 per credit hour while the technology fee is $50 per term.

The University of the Cumberlands is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Official Website

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What courses does an online Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice include?

The answer to this question depends on the school and the type of program the student chooses.

Online Bachelor’s Degree programs in Criminal Justice typically cover topics in criminal law, criminology, law enforcement, legal practice, legal research, criminal procedures, and ethics.

A Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice usually also includes General Education courses, such as Geology, Management, or Global Business.

Students enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts program in Criminal Justice also take Liberal Arts classes, such as Foreign Language, College Algebra, and Speech Communication.

Q. What jobs can I get with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice?

Graduates who hold a degree in Criminal Justice have several career options.

Many of them find employment in law enforcement, corrections systems, and court systems as police officers, intelligence analysts, forensic psychologists, insurance fraud investigators, private investigators, criminal profilers, or corrections officers.

Q. How much does a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice cost?

The answer to this question depends on the school and the program you choose.

Tuition rates typically vary between $100-$600 per credit hour.

Many schools and universities offer lower in-state tuition rates, financial assistance, and scholarships.

Online Bachelor’s Degree programs in Criminal Justice typically also include a technology fee but overall they are less expensive than on-campus programs.

Final Thoughts

If you want to start a career in law enforcement, criminal justice, or corrections, a Bachelor’s Degree in the field will help make your professional dream come true.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for police officers and detectives is projected to grow 5 percent from 2018 to 2028, so if you’re willing to put the effort into earning a degree in Criminal Justice you may start a career that is both professionally and personally rewarding.

There’s no need to worry about having to harmonize a full-time job with your education.

Many reputable schools offer flexible online Bachelor’s Degree programs in Criminal Justice- designed for busy adults like you.

Now that you have read our list it’s your turn to continue your research and apply to the program that best suits your educational needs.

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