2026 Most Affordable Online Criminal Justice Degrees
Find the cheapest online criminal justice degree from our list of accredited schools below.
Key Takeaways:
- The top two schools are Western Carolina University and University of North Texas, which come in at just $1,250 and $1,500 per year, respectively.
- Nearly all schools in the top 10 are public institutions, particularly regional campuses in the Southeast and Southwest.
- A handful of schools eliminate residency pricing altogether, which can make tuition costs more predictable for online students nationwide.
We ordered the list by manually researched online tuition after verifying fully online delivery. Please read our methodology for details.
2026 Most Affordable Online Criminal Justice Degrees
| Rank | School | Program Length | Annual In-State Tuition | Annual Out-of-State Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Carolina University | 4 years | $1,250 | $6,249 | |
| University of North Texas | 4 years | $1,500 | $13,650 | |
| Polk State College | 4 years | $2,753 | $11,433 | |
| Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | 4 years | $3,152 | $14,524 | |
| Dalton State College | 4 years | $3,270 | $12,660 | |
| North Carolina A&T State University | 4 years | $3,600 | $17,850 | |
| Georgia Highlands College | 4 years | $3,846 | $13,026 | |
| Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus | 4 years | $4,194 | $6,174 | |
| Florida Gulf Coast University | 4 years | $4,243 | $22,380 | |
| Florida Atlantic University | 4 years | $4,356 | $19,171 | |
| North Carolina Central University | 4 years | $4,659 | $20,955 | |
| Friends University | 4 years | $4,740 | $4,740 | |
| University of Central Florida | 4 years | $5,018 | $21,882 | |
| California Coast University | 4 years | $5,100 | $5,100 | |
| Georgia Southwestern State University | 4 years | $5,220 | $5,220 |
Comparing the Most Affordable Criminal Justice Degrees Online
Finding the right online criminal justice degree usually comes down to three things: how little you can pay, how likely you are to finish, and whether the program fits your work-and-life schedule. But beneath those tradeoffs, criminal justice programs themselves are incredibly varied in terms of the material they cover.
Across this list, degrees in this field blend criminological theory with applied training in law enforcement, courts, corrections, and policy 鈥� often with built-in internships, research components, or specialization tracks. Below are some examples:
WCU's criminal justice program online has an option to add an Emergency and Disaster Management concentration.
FAMU integrates criminological research methods and computer technology to examine systemic and social justice issues.
NC A&T covers data-driven justice through online courses in SPSS and Stata, alongside cybercrime and cybersecurity law.
PSC takes a prevention- and policy-forward approach that's grounded in sociology, psychology, and public policy.
FGCU and Friends U, embed mandatory internships and professional development courses to connect students with real workplace practice.
Our 2026 affordability ranking starts with annual in-state tuition (manually collected and verified), but that's just the beginning. To find the best overall value, you want to delve into salary outcomes among criminal justice alumni at these programs as well as graduation rates, online popularity, and student recommendation rates. Let's get started.
Affordability Over Time: Online Criminal Justice Degrees for Your Budget
This year鈥檚 price floor is dramatically lower than what most students expect for a bachelor鈥檚-level program in criminal justice. For a field where many early-career roles don鈥檛 automatically come with high salaries, a low tuition can make a huge difference. Graduating without student debt can ultimately give you more freedom in the long run.
Besides the top 5, several others stay under $4,000/year, including NC A&T ($3,600) and GHC ($3,846).
Tuition vs. Earnings in Criminal Justice Degrees Online
Criminal justice bachelor's graduates tend to spend their first few years after graduation gaining field experience in law enforcement agencies, courts, corrections, compliance offices, or analytical roles before earnings begin to climb. That鈥檚 why the four-year-after-graduation salary data used here is especially telling 鈥� it captures outcomes once alumni have moved beyond entry-level roles and into more stable, career-track positions.
Several budget-friendly schools with online criminal justice degrees manage to pair exceptionally low tuition with earnings in the low-to-mid $50,000 range, suggesting strong early-career traction.
FAU posts the highest median salary among criminal justice alumni at $55,057. This is likely because the program covers leadership, management, and applied career preparation in detail, and these are the skills associated with advancement into supervisory or analyst roles.
WCU follows closely at $53,478, which is because it helps position graduates for broader public safety roles that often command higher pay over time. The online courses combine criminal justice with emergency and disaster management.
FGCU ($53,216) and UCF ($51,773) also stand out for providing structured internships, professional development, and leadership coursework. All of these features can help graduates transition more quickly into mid-level positions after graduation.
From a risk perspective, WCU and UNT are especially compelling. Their tuition is so low 鈥� roughly $5,000 to $6,000 total over four years 鈥� that even moderate earnings translate into a faster payback period.
Is a Bachelor鈥檚 Degree Necessary for Long-Term Growth in Criminal Justice?
Trial Attorney
Can this degree lead to advancement in law enforcement, or is further education typically required?
"An associate degree opens the door, but it doesn鈥檛 usually take you too far up the ladder by itself. If someone wants to move into higher-ranking positions, like detective, sergeant, or even into federal roles, they鈥檒l almost always need a bachelor鈥檚 degree or higher. Many departments actually require it for promotions."
How do online programs provide exposure to legal systems, ethics, and criminal procedures effectively?
"The better online programs use:
-
Case studies
-
Virtual courtroom exercises
-
Recorded interviews
-
Moderated discussion boards to simulate real-world legal dilemmas.
What soft skills should students actively work on in this field?
"The work often puts you face-to-face with people in crisis, under stress, or on edge. If you can鈥檛 communicate clearly or stay calm, you鈥檒l struggle.
Ethics are also important. You鈥檒l face situations where no one is watching, and your choices still carry weight.
I鈥檇 say the most valuable soft skills are emotional control, sound judgment, active listening, and the ability to de-escalate. [You] can build them by paying attention, getting feedback, and learning from mistakes early on."
Are there any specialized tracks students should consider early on?
"There鈥檚 more to criminal justice than patrol work. If someone鈥檚 even remotely interested in areas like cybercrime, digital forensics, homeland security, or forensic psychology, it鈥檚 smart to start exploring those early. Agencies need people with those skills, and early specialization can make someone stand out in a pool of applicants.
It also helps to know what certifications are respected in each specialty so you can start building toward them while you鈥檙e still in school.
EXPERT TIP
"As long as the school is accredited and has a solid reputation, most hiring managers don鈥檛 mind that it was online. What matters more is whether the person shows up prepared; good judgment, communication, a clear understanding of the system."
FAQs About Affordable Online Criminal Justice Degrees
How Does OnlineU Rank the Most Affordable Online Criminal Justice Bachelor鈥檚 Degrees?
To be considered for this ranking, a school must offer at least one fully online bachelor鈥檚 degree in criminal justice or a closely related field, such as criminology, justice studies, law enforcement, or public safety.
All eligible institutions must hold institutional accreditation and report online enrollment data to NCES/IPEDS, which are maintained by the U.S. Department of Education.
OnlineU evaluates affordability using a standardized methodology designed to support apples-to-apples comparisons among the lowest-cost criminal justice degrees online. Partner and non-partner institutions are assessed using the same criteria, so advertising relationships never influence rankings.
Final rankings are determined solely by annual in-state tuition. All tuition figures are manually collected and verified from official institutional sources to ensure accuracy and consistency across the list.
How Hard is a Criminal Justice Bachelor鈥檚 Degree?
The difficulty level of a criminal justice degree depends on each student's interests and abilities. The coursework pushes students to sharpen their analytical and critical thinking skills in particular. Specifically, criminal justice 鈥� a liberal arts program 鈥� often requires a great deal of independent reading, research, and writing, but it also involves group collaboration on projects.
Students may wonder whether a criminal justice program will be more difficult online or in person. However, online programs are comparable to in-person programs. To maintain accreditation, schools typically design the curriculum for their online criminal justice programs to be the same as (or very similar) to their on-campus counterparts. Courses generally cover the same materials and meet the same objectives, and the same faculty members often teach them. Whether students follow a traditional path or pursue distance education, they must fulfill a standardized set of graduation requirements to earn their degrees.
What Are Some Common Criminal Justice Courses?
The following presents a list of common courses in this field:
- Constitutional Law: With coursework emphasizing the protection of citizens' rights, this course provides an in-depth look at the Constitution and amendments governing criminal justice procedures as well as the overall legal system.
- Criminal Courts and the Judicial System: The criminal court system bridges law enforcement and the correctional system. The coursework provides an overview of relevant legal procedures, from the rules governing police investigation and apprehension to trial court procedures and sentencing. Students also review the roles of local, state, and federal courts.
- Criminal Investigation: This class introduces students to fundamental crime scene investigation practices and procedures, and it may involve some experiential learning or case studies. Students learn about the various tools and methods used to scrutinize different types of crimes, crime scenes, and the investigative processes used in laboratories.
- Policing and Law Enforcement: This course introduces law enforcement operations, strategies, and procedures at the federal, state, and local levels. The coursework also addresses critical contemporary issues confronting law enforcement agencies, such as officer selection and training, multi-jurisdictional cooperation, and police misconduct.
Are There Criminal Justice Scholarships for Online Students?
To help with affordability, many private and public universities, associations, and institutions offer scholarships. Future criminal justice majors can apply for private scholarships to help pay tuition once they've applied for federal financial aid. Scholarships and grants can be an excellent way to pay for college because they don't require repayment. However, it's important to remember that applying for financial aid from almost any source typically requires enrollment in an accredited school.
Students may be interested in some of the following scholarships specific to criminal justice majors:
- Alpha Phi Sigma Scholarships: Alpha Phi Sigma, the National Criminal Justice Honor Society, offers scholarships to members ranging from .
- Pursuing A Positive Impact Scholarship: The Commonwealth Law Group awards a scholarship to a high school or undergraduate student with at least a 3.0 GPA who submits an essay detailing how they volunteer in their community.
- The Harold Johnson Law Enforcement Scholarship: This scholarship requires a minimum 2.0 GPA, and applicants must currently be a senior with U.S. citizenship in a San Francisco Bay Area high school who is planning on enrolling in a two- or four-year degree program. The award is up to .
- The Ritchie-Jennings Memorial Scholarship Program: Applicants must have declared their major in criminal justice and are currently enrolled full-time in an accredited four-year university, at least nine credit hours per term. They must also be in the second half of the second year of school when applying. The scholarship is worth anywhere from .
Student Reviews of Online Criminal Justice Programs
I love how the instructor communicate with us and always checking on us to make sure we are doing okay and to see if we need help with anything. She takes her time and tells us how we suppose to do everything. She also gave us her number just in case we need to reach her.
Review Date: 1/28/2026
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: Yes
My only addition to the review is that I鈥檝e been reading the required course readings in addition to the sources they鈥檝e used and I鈥檝e been coming across questions in the quizzes and exams that are not touched on during the readings. In an online setting where no additional information is being provided from instruction, it feels like we鈥檙e being left to guess which has a negative impact on grades and learning.
Review Date: 11/12/2025
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: No
My only addition to the review is that I鈥檝e been reading the required course readings in addition to the sources they鈥檝e used and I鈥檝e been coming across questions in the quizzes and exams that are not touched on during the readings. In an online setting where no additional information is being provided from instruction, it feels like we鈥檙e being left to guess which has a negative impact on grades and learning.
Review Date: 11/12/2025
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: No
My experience with university of Phoenix has been amazing. The staff is great one thing I really don鈥檛 like, but I do have the same time as they always will call to check in and make sure you鈥檙e doing OK but for me calls are very hard for me to answer especially when I鈥檓 working so I prefer to be emailed or texted or even when they leave a voicemail like just be descriptive on why they鈥檙e calling because half of the time I get voicemails from school and it just says hello my name is this. I鈥檓 with... Read More
Review Date: 12/22/2025
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: Yes
I would recommend CTU to anyone. I have already convinced my husband to go to college and he is currently enrolled in the Criminal Justice program. Everyone that I speak when they find out that I am in college, I am continuing with a master's degree in computer science, I always ask them what they would like to obtain. If they are serious, I give them Autumn Star's phone number. I let them know that the instructors are the best, and that if I can do it, they can.
Review Date: 5/29/2025
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: Yes
My friend recently referred me to UNOP and explained that their accelerated degree program lets students finish their bachelor's degree faster than traditional paths. I transferred my community college credits to UNOP. I'm really excited about this opportunity because it will help me complete my education sooner and better prepare me to pursue my future goals.
Review Date: 9/29/2025
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: Yes
I think my school is really great. They listen to me as a student, and have helped me with my needs in order to succeed. They utilize their efforts very efficiently to make sure that students thrive in an environment that is either in person or online.
Review Date: 12/7/2025
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: Yes
I have throughly enjoyed being in this college and am ready to enjoy the rest of my journey. I would definitely spread my experience with others. The professor's at this college are wonderful and always willing to help. I'm proud to be a student at this college.
Review Date: 5/2/2025
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: Yes
Everything was great until it was time to pay SNHU. They told me I had a grace period but they were so greedy that they sent it to collection without giving me time to pay and I requested over and over for a payment plan they didn't care once I graduated. The financial team was rude and lied to me
Review Date: 9/24/2025
Would Recommend: No
Helpful for Career: No
I would recommend CTU to all that is looking for a college.CTU makes you feel welcome, and eager to guide you though it all . I am more then pleased to have received my diploma here. This was the greatest success and choice I've ever made thank you CTU
Review Date: 5/30/2025
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: Yes
If I could leave zero stars I would. I took a majority of course when doing my associates for transfer. At my original school the courses state UC and USC eligible for transfer. The course description matching the course description at UTPB. However, they will not honor the course because the class is not labeled (numbered) the same as UTPBs.
I've had 2 advisors in 1 year and each have given me a different degree plan, and lacked updating it with courses I took at UTPB.
The advisor I currently have... Read More
I have reached out to the Dean several times and am now being ignored after our meeting 3 weeks ago to find out why my classes aren't transferring and when I could actually graduate.
This school is not worth the time and energy. There's a reason it's a cheaper UT school. I would not recommend!
Review Date: 9/10/2024
Would Recommend: No
Helpful for Career: No
This school is accredited, so if you had doubts about that, it is okay. The faculty and staff are nice and help you with your academic path. Beware of the course material. You can easily graduate with honors and a 4.0, but you will NOT be prepared for your career in the slightest. The most cited source for corse material is YouTube. I don't think that is very professional or educational. You can't attend and graduate from this institution but you will be severely sent back by the lack of quality... Read More
Review Date: 3/19/2022
Would Recommend: No
Helpful for Career: No
Strayer University has provided me a way to continue my passion for earning my degree in the Criminal Justice field the best part about it is that I am able to work towards my degree completely online, which means I am able to work Full-time and enjoy life with my kids. Everyone I ve had the pleasure of speaking with have always been helpful. This is my second year attending and I do plan to earn my degree from Strayer!! Thanks Strayer University for truly providing a way to continue me education!... Read More
Review Date: 11/21/2019
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: No
The only review you need - June 2023 After reading the reviews (most of the bad ones are really old) I felt compelled to offer my review having just completed my Bachelor's degree this week. Though CCU is not your traditional college, it definitely has its place in further education. It is super convenient for someone like me who works full-time+, on top of having a two kid family. I was referred to CCU by a former student because I had limited time to complete my degree for an upcoming LT promotional... Read More
Review Date: 6/23/2023
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: No
I just graduated with my bachelor's and I am still enrolled at CTU now to get my master's. The only downside I would share is the price. CTU is very expensive and I have a large amount of student loans owed now. I wanted my degree so I did it despite the cost. I think it is something that could use some reviewing however in the future. Staff and faculty have all been great in all my experiences with them so that goes a long way to know someone is willing to help you and talk to you. I am happy with... Read More
Review Date: 6/9/2023
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: No
The school is ok when you want a family feel. You meet so many different people. Very sociable school and plus its a hbcu. Most professors are knowledgeable and want you to succeed.Then you have others that are the opposite. The overall process of getting into the school is draining. You get very discourage and may want to reconsider going here because the administrative staff was highly disorganized (incompetent). Hardly could get in touch with anyone and when you would was given the run around.... Read More
Review Date: 1/27/2021
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: No
Purdue University is a fabulous school and the idea of being able to take classes on-line in an accelerated format worked for my education goals. The professors and instructors were all very informative and well educated in the course of instruction they taught. I wanted to attend Purdue University Global for the recognition of the school and it's reputation within academia.
Review Date: 1/20/2023
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: No
Instructors were outstanding!!! Not just academics. Extensive experience in the real world. Great experience with Financial Aid. They were always able to answer my questions and solve any issues. Student Advisors - I had several. 1st one at the beginning was very helpful. Then pretty much never heard from her again. 2nd one helped somewhat, then never heard from them again either. 3rd one was the best. He tirelessly answered all my questions, and worked until all my issues were resolved. Kudos to... Read More
Review Date: 9/21/2023
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: Yes
I have been extremely offended by members of your staff when inquiring about my school loans they are the rudest staff I have every encountered and I was going to continue my education with the law school but after this experience I have had I will no longer be entertaining that process and I have friends that we鈥檙e interested in going to Purdue and I will bet letting them know how rude and unprofessional your administration staff is with their students
Review Date: 11/24/2023
Would Recommend: No
Helpful for Career: No
I have done my Associates and Bachelors degree through this University. Since the time I have started I have been on two European rotations, multiple field cycles, and different long term trainings in different locations, and had a baby. The work load has been manageable (with proper planning and time management). The instructors will work with you if something comes up. I highly recommend earning a degree from this university.
Review Date: 3/1/2022
Would Recommend: Yes
Helpful for Career: No