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Criminal justice instructor education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a criminal justice instructor. Criminal justice instructors usually study criminal justice, business, or law. 53% of criminal justice instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,000 real criminal justice instructor resumes to see exactly what criminal justice instructor education sections show.
The most common colleges for criminal justice instructors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online criminal justice instructor courses to help get the education required to be a criminal justice instructor.
There are certain criminal justice instructor certifications that you should consider. These criminal justice instructor certifications include Instructor and Certified Criminal Justice Specialist (CCJS).
What education do you need to become a criminal justice instructor?
What degree do you need to be a criminal justice instructor?
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Master's, 26%
- Associate, 11%
- Doctorate, 8%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a criminal justice instructor?
- Criminal Justice, 52%
- Business, 7%
- Law, 6%
- Other Majors, 31%
Most common colleges for criminal justice instructors
| Criminal justice instructor common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 22.82% |
| Troy University | 7.38% |
| University of Cincinnati | 6.71% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.71% |
| National University | 4.70% |
Best majors for criminal justice instructors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Criminal Justice | 52.3% |
| 2 | Business | 7.2% |
| 3 | Law | 6.4% |
| 4 | Political Science | 4.0% |
| 5 | Public Administration | 3.7% |
Best colleges for criminal justice instructors
The best colleges for criminal justice instructors are George Washington University, The, Northeastern University, and University of Maryland - College Park.
A criminal justice instructor 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 justice instructors. 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 justice instructors.
1. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
2. University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI • Private
In-state tuition
$14,138
Enrollment
13,743
3. John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,270
Enrollment
12,852
4. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
5. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Enrollment
31,321
7. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
8. Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,244
Enrollment
15,557
9. Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ • Private
In-state tuition
$11,564
Enrollment
26,647
10. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
20 best online courses for criminal justice instructors
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20. Introduction to Criminology: Explaining Crime
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Top 10 most affordable universities for criminal justice instructors
The most affordable schools for criminal justice instructors are USF Sarasota-Manatee, california state university - bakersfield, and florida international university.
If the best universities for criminal justice instructors 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 justice instructors.
1. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,270
Cost of attendance
14,177
6. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
7. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. University of Missouri - Kansas City
Kansas City, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$8,178
Cost of attendance
20,934
10. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Cost of attendance
23,600
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for criminal justice instructors
The hardest universities for criminal justice instructors to get into are George Washington University, The, Northeastern University, and University of Maryland - College Park.
Some great schools for criminal justice instructors 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 justice instructors 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. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
2. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
3. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,390
4. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
5. American University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,320
6. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
7. University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,300
8. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
Admissions rate
47%
SAT average
1,336
9. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
Admissions rate
49%
SAT average
1,345
10. Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,304
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for criminal justice instructors
The easiest schools for criminal justice instructors to get into are Barry University, the university of texas permian basin, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a criminal justice instructor 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 justice instructors.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
5. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
6. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
8. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
9. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average criminal justice instructor salary by education level
| Criminal justice instructor education level | Criminal justice instructor salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $49,803 |
| Doctorate Degree | $60,591 |
Criminal justice instructor education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025