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Criminal justice lawyer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a criminal justice lawyer. Criminal justice lawyers usually study criminal justice, psychology, or business. 53% of criminal justice lawyers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,936 real criminal justice lawyer resumes to see exactly what criminal justice lawyer education sections show.

The most common colleges for criminal justice lawyers 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 justice lawyer courses to help get the education required to be a criminal justice lawyer.

There are certain criminal justice lawyer certifications that you should consider. These criminal justice lawyer certifications include Certified Criminal Justice Specialist (CCJS) and Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

What education do you need to become a criminal justice lawyer?

What degree do you need to be a criminal justice lawyer?

The most common degree for criminal justice lawyers is bachelor's degree, with 53% of criminal justice lawyers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 53%
  • Associate, 19%
  • Master's, 13%
  • High School Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a criminal justice lawyer?

You should major in criminal justice to become a criminal justice lawyer. 56% of criminal justice lawyers major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a criminal justice lawyer include psychology and business.

Most common colleges for criminal justice lawyers

Criminal justice lawyers often get their degrees at John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York, University of Phoenix, and Sam Houston State University. Here are the most common colleges for criminal justice lawyers in the US based on their resumes.
Criminal justice lawyer common collegePercentages
John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York27.84%
University of Phoenix11.34%
Sam Houston State University6.87%
University of Cincinnati5.50%
University of Florida3.78%

Best majors for criminal justice lawyers

RankMajorPercentages
1Criminal Justice56.3%
2Psychology6.2%
3Business5.0%
4Law4.9%
5Political Science3.6%

Best colleges for criminal justice lawyers

The best colleges for criminal justice lawyers are University of Chicago, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A criminal justice lawyer 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 lawyers. 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 lawyers.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$58,230

Enrollment

6,600

3. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

6. University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,610

Enrollment

3,215

7. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

8. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

10. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

20 best online courses for criminal justice lawyers

Advertising disclosure

1. Hot Topics in Criminal Justice

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The American criminal justice system is in need of reform. We incarcerate too many people. We pay insufficient attention to scientific advances that can help separate out the most and least culpable and dangerous. We grant the police far too much power to use force and technological surveillance. As a way of thinking about dealing with these problems, this course examines two over-arching issues: What should we do with people who have committed crime, and how should we identify who they are? On...

2. Introduction to International Criminal Law

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-- About the Course -- From the Nuremberg trial to the case against Saddam Hussein, from the prosecution of Al-Qaeda terrorists to the trial of Somali pirates – no area of law is as important to world peace and security as international criminal law. Taught by one of the world’s leading experts in the field, this course will educate students about the fundamentals of international criminal law and policy. We will explore the contours of international crimes such as genocide, war crimes,...

3. Criminology and Criminal Psychology Certified CSI+ Course

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4.2
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Learn Criminal Law and Start your career with certification of Criminal Law and Criminal Psychology, Learn Criminology...

4. Introduction to Criminal Psychology

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4.3
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Understand the Forensic Psychology of the Criminal Mind...

5. Psychological First Aid

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Learn to provide psychological first aid to people in an emergency by employing the RAPID model: Reflective listening, Assessment of needs, Prioritization, Intervention, and Disposition. Utilizing the RAPID model (Reflective listening, Assessment of needs, Prioritization, Intervention, and Disposition), this specialized course provides perspectives on injuries and trauma that are beyond those physical in nature. The RAPID model is readily applicable to public health settings, the workplace, the...

6. Human Health Risks, Health Equity, and Environmental Justice

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The fourth and final course of the Impacts of the Environment on Global Public Health specialization will cover two topics. The first is environmental justice – that is, avoiding an inequitable distribution of environmental health threats in our population, and ensuring a healthy and safe environment and health equity for all. The second is risk assessment and management, a framework that can be utilized to assess and quantify human health risks, and to identify appropriate approaches to...

7. Criminal Law in 120 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

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A 2 hour fast track summary of Criminal Law, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

8. Psychology of Criminal Behaviour & Criminology - ACCREDITED

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Personality Disorders, Violence, Sex Offence, Murder, and other types of crime...

9. International Law In Action: Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes

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‘Investigating and Prosecuting International Crimes’ is the second course in Leiden University’s new series on International Law in Action. The first course covered international courts and tribunals in The Hague in general. This second course provides an insider perspective into the work of international criminal courts and tribunals. You will learn about the investigation and prosecution of international crimes in The Hague. Atrocities produce unspeakable forms of violence. We will explore...

10. Social Policy for Social Services & Health Practitioners

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In the U.S., social policy accounts for two-thirds of government spending. Knowing how policies are constructed, what values underlie them, and how they succeed or fail makes everyone more effective at work or in their civic role. This specialization includes an HONORS track in which learners will complete a professional social policy analysis.\n\nTeachers, health care workers, police, and social workers interact with policy daily, but all of us should care about the impact and effectiveness of...

11. Forensic Psychology: Criminal Profiling Certificate

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4.4
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Criminology Crash Course...

12. Crisis Intervention Seminar

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4.4
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The emphasis is on the development of fundamental clinical skills in the area of crisis intervention...

13. An Introduction to American Law

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This course will give you a glimpse into six different areas of American law: Tort Law, Contract Law, Property, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Civil Procedure. You will gain insight into the complexities and dilemmas that arise from the application of law in different settings, and what is distinctive about American approaches...

14. Addiction & Mental Health (Dual Diagnosis) Integrative 12hrs

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Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions: Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health - Integrative Holistic Approach...

15. Introduction to Criminology: Explaining Crime

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Learn to Speak About Criminal Psychology and the Sociology of Crime Like an Expert...

16. Addiction & Mental Health - Chemically Speaking Two (2hrs)

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Substance Abuse & Mental Health Interventions - Understand Drug & Alcohol Addiction & Mental Health. How to help people...

17. Forensic Psychology - ACCREDITED CERTIFICATE

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Become a specialist in criminal investigations and forensic profiling, start your career and add certificate to resume!...

18. Professional Accredited Forensic Psychology Diploma Course

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A Fascinating Insight Into The Minds Of Criminals by Using Forensic Psychology. Fully Accredited Course...

19. Abnormal Behavior & Clinical Psychology (Certificate)

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4.4
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Guiding students into the field of mental health services for either personal and/or professional development...

20. Ethnicity, Justice, and the People of God

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4.7
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An Exploration into a Biblical Theology of Justice...

Top 10 most affordable universities for criminal justice lawyers

The most affordable schools for criminal justice lawyers are University of Florida, brigham young university, and florida international university.

If the best universities for criminal justice lawyers 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 lawyers.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

7. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

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 justice lawyers

The hardest universities for criminal justice lawyers to get into are University of Chicago, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for criminal justice lawyers 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 lawyers 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. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

10. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for criminal justice lawyers

The easiest schools for criminal justice lawyers to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, nyack college, and university of baltimore.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a criminal justice lawyer 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 lawyers.

1. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

6. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

7. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. Saint Thomas University

Miami Gardens, FL • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

1,031

10. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

Average criminal justice lawyer salary by education level

Criminal justice lawyer education levelCriminal justice lawyer salary
Doctorate Degree$51,348

Criminal justice lawyer education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.