This all started by wanting to answer the question: “What’s the best online criminal justice program?” To do this, we began on the bachelor’s level and explored every available program offered online. Over 40 professors then helped us create an original methodology used to narrow our list of 107 programs down to the top four in the nation. And to tie all of this together, there was great emphasis placed on transparency and the explanations behind our thought process—with the goal to have anyone be able to follow along and understand why certain programs outperformed others.

Everything presented here was carefully researched to be the most accurate and truthful as possible. Our team spent hundreds of hours verifying every data point with universities, collaborating with department professors to better understand their program and the discipline, and constructing an easy to understand methodology.

You’ll find the most important data and reviews in the navigation section called “Bachelor’s Rankings” (look at the top of the page). In that section you’ll see who performed the best, who were the worst, along with explanations for the results.

Portland State University's Division of Criminology & Criminal Justice provides an online bachelor's degree completion program for those seeking to pursue a criminology & criminal justice degree. In addition, four certificate programs are available to those seeking to specialize in key criminal justice areas. There are a variety of career paths for those who receive a high-quality criminal justice education. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts double-digit growth in the criminal justice field through the end of the decade. Amazingly diverse opportunities exist for dedicated and educated individuals who are interested in a future in these career areas:

Law Enforcement – Police Officer, Detective, Special Investigator, State Trooper, Community Relations Officer, Crime Analyst

Corrections – Corrections Officer, Correctional Counselor, Parole Officer, Probation Officer

Federal Agencies – Border Patrol Agent, Game Enforcement Agent, U.S. Marshal, FBI Agent, CIA Agent, Secret Service Agent, ICE Agent

Social Services – Behavioral Disorder Counselor, Treatment Specialist, Victim Advocate, Policy Analyst, Youth Counselor, Crime Prevention Coordinator, and more