What is Criminal Justice?
Criminal justice career positions run the gamut. These jobs involve protecting the public, whether from violent or white-collar crime. Those in the criminal justice field may work as police officers – with the opportunity to proceed up the ranks, from beat cop to detective to chief of police –to corrections officers, cyber security specialists, and parole and probation officers. They may work for the federal government as an FBI, DEA, or CIA agent.
Besides working in law enforcement, students interested in a law career or in pursuing a graduate degree may decide to major in criminal justice. Because jobs in the field of criminal justice are generally in public service, strong benefits packages accompany them. Along with excellent retirement and healthcare plans, there is job stability. Additionally, since each state has its own rules for police training and action as well as security requirements, along with many types of associated positions, it makes sense to attend a school in the state in which you would like to start your career. An Alabama school will offer the most locally useful degrees for those who wish to get into the law enforcement field in Alabama.
For example, while Alabama is a state in which police officers do not need a college degree – although they must complete at least 480 hours of police academy training as required by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission – recruitment salaries are higher for those with a degree than for candidates with only a high school diploma or GED. And the more education they have, the higher on the career track a criminal justice professional may rise.
Featured Online Programs
Top Ranked Campus & Online Criminal Justice Programs in Alabama
The University of Alabama
Score: 76.45
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,900
- Out-of-State:$33,200
- Net Price: $20,592
- Acceptance Rate: 80%
- Retention Rate: 87%
- Graduation Rate: 73%
- Total Enrollment: 38,644
- Undergrad Students: 32,458
- Graduate Students: 6,186
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Score: 74.52
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,832
- Out-of-State:$21,864
- Net Price: $16,834
- Acceptance Rate: 87%
- Retention Rate: 82%
- Graduation Rate: 64%
- Total Enrollment: 21,639
- Undergrad Students: 13,032
- Graduate Students: 8,607
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
University of South Alabama
Score: 74.05
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,676
- Out-of-State:$18,652
- Net Price: $15,664
- Acceptance Rate: 65%
- Retention Rate: 69%
- Graduation Rate: 48%
- Total Enrollment: 13,438
- Undergrad Students: 8,480
- Graduate Students: 4,958
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Jacksonville State University
Score: 73.45
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,426
- Out-of-State:$22,716
- Net Price: $11,953
- Acceptance Rate: 78%
- Retention Rate: 66%
- Graduation Rate: 52%
- Total Enrollment: 9,632
- Undergrad Students: 8,310
- Graduate Students: 1,322
- Grads Salary: $72,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
Talladega College
Score: 72.84
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $15,650
- Out-of-State:$15,650
- Net Price: $12,360
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 76%
- Graduation Rate: 35%
- Total Enrollment: 903
- Undergrad Students: 835
- Graduate Students: 68
- Grads Salary: $90,000
- Student-to-faculty: 22:1
University of North Alabama
Score: 71.86
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,990
- Out-of-State:$22,190
- Net Price: $9,837
- Acceptance Rate: 96%
- Retention Rate: 76%
- Graduation Rate: 52%
- Total Enrollment: 9,830
- Undergrad Students: 7,214
- Graduate Students: 2,616
- Grads Salary: $68,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
Troy University
Score: 69.23
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,792
- Out-of-State:$19,584
- Net Price: $13,187
- Acceptance Rate: 95%
- Retention Rate: 75%
- Graduation Rate: 46%
- Total Enrollment: 14,156
- Undergrad Students: 10,768
- Graduate Students: 3,388
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Auburn University at Montgomery
Score: 64.07
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,436
- Out-of-State:$20,092
- Net Price: $13,163
- Acceptance Rate: 92%
- Retention Rate: 70%
- Graduation Rate: 36%
- Total Enrollment: 5,109
- Undergrad Students: 3,754
- Graduate Students: 1,355
- Grads Salary: $67,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
Alabama A&M University
Score: 62.82
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,024
- Out-of-State:$18,634
- Net Price: $14,600
- Acceptance Rate: 68%
- Retention Rate: 59%
- Graduation Rate: 27%
- Total Enrollment: 6,007
- Undergrad Students: 5,206
- Graduate Students: 801
- Grads Salary: $70,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
Huntingdon College
Score: 62.82
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $28,650
- Out-of-State:$28,650
- Net Price: $23,662
- Acceptance Rate: 66%
- Retention Rate: 65%
- Graduation Rate: 50%
- Total Enrollment: 817
- Undergrad Students: 812
- Graduate Students: 5
- Grads Salary: $62,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Athens State University
Score: 62.74
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $7,530
- Out-of-State:$15,060
- Net Price: N/A
- Acceptance Rate: N/A
- Retention Rate: 78%
- Graduation Rate: 50%
- Total Enrollment: 2,894
- Undergrad Students: 2,520
- Graduate Students: 374
- Grads Salary: $72,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Stillman College
Score: 62.17
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,392
- Out-of-State:$11,392
- Net Price: $15,574
- Acceptance Rate: 65%
- Retention Rate: 63%
- Graduation Rate: 25%
- Total Enrollment: 744
- Undergrad Students: 744
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $68,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
Columbia Southern University
Score: 61.43
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,808
- Out-of-State:$5,808
- Net Price: $12,366
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 42%
- Graduation Rate: 33%
- Total Enrollment: 15,948
- Undergrad Students: 11,330
- Graduate Students: 4,618
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 28:1
Alabama State University
Score: 59.19
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,248
- Out-of-State:$19,576
- Net Price: $13,176
- Acceptance Rate: 97%
- Retention Rate: 60%
- Graduation Rate: 28%
- Total Enrollment: 3,828
- Undergrad Students: 3,296
- Graduate Students: 532
- Grads Salary: $66,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Faulkner University
Score: 57.11
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $23,920
- Out-of-State:$23,920
- Net Price: $20,050
- Acceptance Rate: 82%
- Retention Rate: 63%
- Graduation Rate: 33%
- Total Enrollment: 2,817
- Undergrad Students: 1,792
- Graduate Students: 1,025
- Grads Salary: $62,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Herzing University-Birmingham
Score: 55.85
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,420
- Out-of-State:$13,420
- Net Price: $21,953
- Acceptance Rate: 94%
- Retention Rate: 50%
- Graduation Rate: 30%
- Total Enrollment: 578
- Undergrad Students: 570
- Graduate Students: 8
- Grads Salary: $72,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $4,980
- Out-of-State:$8,790
- Net Price: $9,619
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 66%
- Graduation Rate: 45%
- Total Enrollment: 5,965
- Undergrad Students: 5,965
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $36,700
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
John C Calhoun State Community College
Score: 51.46
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,060
- Out-of-State:$8,870
- Net Price: $6,308
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 64%
- Graduation Rate: 36%
- Total Enrollment: 8,163
- Undergrad Students: 8,163
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $34,200
- Student-to-faculty: 20:1
Miles College
Score: 51.44
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,714
- Out-of-State:$12,714
- Net Price: $13,283
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 57%
- Graduation Rate: 26%
- Total Enrollment: 1,258
- Undergrad Students: 1,258
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $52,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Chattahoochee Valley Community College
Score: 49.67
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $5,040
- Out-of-State:$8,850
- Net Price: $3,301
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 61%
- Graduation Rate: 26%
- Total Enrollment: 1,641
- Undergrad Students: 1,641
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $32,100
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
