Most Affordable Online Criminal Justice Degrees
Discover the convenience and flexibility of earning your degree or certificate through a quality, affordable online criminal justice program. Explore the countless options offered by today’s top online criminal justice programs, learn about resources to help you pay for your education, and much more.
Working in the criminal justice system can be a highly rewarding career, whether it’s protecting your community as a police officer, ensuring the smooth functioning of courtrooms as a court administrator, or pursuing one of many other occupations. Many jobs in this field require or benefit from a college education, and obtaining a degree in criminal justice provides specialized training and knowledge needed for these careers.
Due to the popularity of criminal justice degrees and the demand for flexible learning options, many schools are now offering them partially or fully online. To help students find quality programs that are affordable, we’ve compiled a list of accredited schools with the most affordable online criminal justice degree programs. Additionally, we provide tips for lowering the cost of your degree and an understanding of what factors impact the overall cost of your education.
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Public
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, Texas
Public
California State University-Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Public
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
Public
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
Private
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
New York, New York
Public
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California
Public
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
Public
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Public
University of South Florida
Tampa, Florida
Public
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
Public
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Lowell, Massachusetts
Public
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Public
Florida International University
Miami, Florida
Public
Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, Arkansas
Public
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Public
California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, California
Public
Purdue University Global
West Lafayette, Indiana
Public
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
Public
University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida
Public
University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi
Public
San Diego State University
San Diego, California
Public
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina
Public
Lamar University
Beaumont, Texas
Public
Jackson State University
Jackson, Mississippi
Public
McNeese State University
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Public
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Public
California State University-San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
Public
Western Illinois University
Macomb, Illinois
Public
University of North Alabama
Florence, Alabama
Public
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
Pembroke, North Carolina
Public
Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Public
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Public
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Public
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, Alaska
Public
Kent State University at Kent
Kent, Ohio
Public
University of Houston-Downtown
Houston, Texas
Public
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Kearney, Nebraska
Public
Great Basin College
Elko, Nevada
Public
Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, Kentucky
Public
The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, Texas
Public
Harris-Stowe State University
Saint Louis, Missouri
Public
SUNY College of Technology at Delhi
Delhi, New York
Public
Tarleton State University
Stephenville, Texas
Public
Sinclair Community College
Dayton, Ohio
Public
Randolph Community College
Asheboro, North Carolina
Public
Atlanta Technical College
Atlanta, Georgia
Public
South Georgia Technical College
Americus, Georgia
Public
Diablo Valley College
Pleasant Hill, California
Public
Blue Ridge Community College
Flat Rock, North Carolina
Public
McLennan Community College
Waco, Texas
Public
Southern Crescent Technical College
Griffin, Georgia
Public
Tri-County Community College
Murphy, North Carolina
Public
Oconee Fall Line Technical College
Sandersville, Georgia
Public
Robeson Community College
Lumberton, North Carolina
Public
Stanly Community College
Albemarle, North Carolina
Public
Albany Technical College
Albany, Georgia
Public
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California
Public
Isothermal Community College
Spindale, North Carolina
Public
Napa Valley College
Napa, California
Public
Wayne Community College
Goldsboro, North Carolina
Public
Northwood Technical College
Shell Lake, Wisconsin
Public
College of San Mateo
San Mateo, California
Public
Gaston College
Dallas, North Carolina
Public
Lakeshore Technical College
Cleveland, Wisconsin
Public
Beaufort County Community College
Washington, North Carolina
Public
College of the Albemarle
Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Public
Panola College
Carthage, Texas
Public
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
Salisbury, North Carolina
Public
Central Community College
Grand Island, Nebraska
Public
South Piedmont Community College
Polkton, North Carolina
Public
Nash Community College
Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Public
Citrus College
Glendora, California
Public
Southeastern Technical College
Vidalia, Georgia
Public
Sandhills Community College
Pinehurst, North Carolina
Public
Ogeechee Technical College
Statesboro, Georgia
Public
Los Angeles Valley College
Valley Glen, California
Public
Lansing Community College
Lansing, Michigan
Public
Cabrillo College
Aptos, California
Public
New Mexico Junior College
Hobbs, New Mexico
Public
Georgia Piedmont Technical College
Clarkston, Georgia
Public
Itawamba Community College
Fulton, Mississippi
Public
San Bernardino Valley College
San Bernardino, California
Public
Redlands Community College
El Reno, Oklahoma
Public
Haywood Community College
Clyde, North Carolina
Public
Davidson-Davie Community College
Thomasville, North Carolina
Public
Big Sandy Community and Technical College
Prestonsburg, Kentucky
Public
West Virginia Northern Community College
Wheeling, West Virginia
Public
San Joaquin Delta College
Stockton, California
Public
Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa, California
Public
Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell
Roswell, New Mexico
Public
Funding Your Online Criminal Justice Degree: 5 Ways to Save
Tuition for a criminal justice degree can be expensive. Fortunately, there are many ways to make earning a degree more affordable. We discuss a few of those ways below and encourage you to utilize as many as possible to make getting your degree easier and less of a drain on your bank account.
1
Apply to scholarships, grants, and fellowships created for criminal justice students.
These forms of financial aid are ideal because they don’t need to be paid back, but this also makes them quite competitive. Increase your chances of getting an award by focusing on those that require applicants to be enrolled in a criminal justice program. For example, My Alarm Center offers a $1,000 scholarship to students studying criminal justice or a related field. To learn more about these and other types of financial aid, visit STEPS’ financial aid guide for public service degrees and scholarships and resources guide for criminal justice students.
2
Loan Forgiveness
Many jobs for criminal justice graduates are in the public sector – including work for federal, state, and local governments – and some positions qualify as public interest jobs. The Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program allows eligible students in certain types of nonprofit occupations to make 120 qualified monthly payments on their student loans and have the remaining loan balance forgiven.
3
Employer Tuition Reimbursement Program
Many employers understand the value of their employees going back to school, and some have benefits that include reimbursing employees for money spent taking graduate or undergraduate classes. Employers have their own rules on implementation, though. For Delaware law enforcement officers, for example, the Delaware Criminal Justice Council reimburses eligible employees for 100% of their higher education tuition costs. The primary conditions are that the employee is continuously employed during schooling and receives a grade of a “C” or better.
4
Crowdfunding
One inventive way to raise money is through crowdfunding. While reasons for crowdfunding range from paying for a vacation to funding a life-saving medical procedure, some people use it to help pay for school. This is especially effective if you have a compelling reason for earning a particular degree and/or for not having the financial means to pay for it. GoFundMe is a popular place to raise crowdfunding capital.
5
Work-Study
Work-study is a type of gift-based financial aid, but students must work to earn the money. Work-study awards are based on financial need and offer part-time work to students attending schools participating in the Federal Work-Study program. The types of jobs vary widely, but schools are strongly encouraged to offer employment related to a student’s chosen course of study and/or that provides a civic education.
What Impacts the Affordability of an Online Criminal Justice Degree?
Tuition fees and financial aid awards have a significant impact on the affordability of a program, so it’s crucial to thoroughly investigate both when selecting a school. However, there are other factors to consider that can also significantly impact your total cost of attendance, including textbooks and other learning materials, technology fees, transportation costs, and living expenses if you plan to attend on-campus classes.
Transfer Policy
If a school accepts a higher number of transfer credits, students with prior college coursework may need to take fewer classes to complete their degrees. However, transfer credit policies vary among schools, so it’s important to research each school’s policy thoroughly. Accepting more transfer credits can help students save money by taking fewer classes, as well as reduce the time it takes to graduate, leading to more time in the workforce and more earning potential.
Public Versus Private
Public schools generally have lower tuition rates than private schools since they receive some funding from taxpayer dollars. However, taking full advantage of these lower rates may require attending a public school where you have in-state residency status.
In-Person Requirements
Many online criminal justice programs are fully online, but some offer their curriculums in hybrid formats and require students to attend at least some classes on campus. Depending on where you live, the time and cost to travel to campus a few times a semester could dramatically increase the cost of your education.
Residency Status
For students attending a public college or university, having in-state residency status is typically advantageous since in-state students usually receive lower tuition rates compared to out-of-state students. However, it’s worth noting that some online programs may charge the same tuition rate for both resident and non-resident students.
Career Services
You’re getting a criminal justice degree to have your job of choice, preferably a higher-paying position. In some cases, career services can make a big difference in achieving this goal. If the career services office at your college has graduates, faculty, and other networking connections with certain law enforcement agencies, the court system, or other legal employers, landing your dream job might be much easier.