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Criminal court judge education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a criminal court judge. Criminal court judges usually study law, finance, or business. 53% of criminal court judges hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 79 real criminal court judge resumes to see exactly what criminal court judge education sections show.
The most common colleges for criminal court judges are the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York and the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York.
There are also many online criminal court judge courses to help get the education required to be a criminal court judge.
What education do you need to become a criminal court judge?
What degree do you need to be a criminal court judge?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Doctorate, 17%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 9%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a criminal court judge?
- Law, 20%
- Finance, 11%
- Business, 9%
- Criminal Justice, 9%
- Other Majors, 51%
Most common colleges for criminal court judges
| Criminal court judge common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York | 11.54% |
| New York University | 7.69% |
| Indiana University Bloomington | 7.69% |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University | 7.69% |
| Southern Methodist University | 7.69% |
Best majors for criminal court judges
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Law | 19.6% |
| 2 | Finance | 10.7% |
| 3 | Business | 8.9% |
| 4 | Criminal Justice | 8.9% |
| 5 | Political Science | 8.9% |
Best colleges for criminal court judges
The best colleges for criminal court judges are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
A criminal court judge with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for criminal court judges. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become criminal court judges.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
7. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
10. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
20 best online courses for criminal court judges
Advertising disclosure
1. International Law in Action: A Guide to the International Courts and Tribunals in The Hague
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10. Introduction to Key Constitutional Concepts and Supreme Court Cases
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13. Hot Topics in Criminal Justice
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Top 10 most affordable universities for criminal court judges
The most affordable schools for criminal court judges are University of Florida, brigham young university, and florida international university.
If the best universities for criminal court judges are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for criminal court judges.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Cost of attendance
25,527
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. University of Missouri - Kansas City
Kansas City, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$8,178
Cost of attendance
20,934
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
10. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
San Juan, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
11,299
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for criminal court judges
The hardest universities for criminal court judges to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for criminal court judges are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for criminal court judges based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for criminal court judges
The easiest schools for criminal court judges to get into are Barry University, notre dame de namur university, and university of north texas at dallas.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a criminal court judge without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for criminal court judges.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
9. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden
Camden, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,086
10. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
Average criminal court judge salary by education level
| Criminal court judge education level | Criminal court judge salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $59,576 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025