California · Criminal Justice and Corrections

Best institutions to study Criminal Justice and Corrections in California

The Criminal Justice and Corrections program focuses on the various functions carried out by government agencies related to the punishment, treatment, and supervision of individuals convicted of crimes. This program is ideal for students…

Institutions
147
offering CIP 43.01
States & territories
57
with a program page
Degrees / yr
14,459
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median grad earnings
$62,350
1 year after graduation
With earnings data
53
College Scorecard
Median net price
$26,941
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
45%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Correctional Officers and Jailers
$92,410
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 10 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard).

#InstitutionGrad earnings (1 yr)CompletionsGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Santa Rosa Junior College
Santa Rosa Public · Certificate degree
$111,64956037%$14,125
2San Bernardino Valley College
San Bernardino Public · Certificate degree
$94,28533728%$19,500
3Moreno Valley College
Moreno Valley Public · Certificate degree
$81,33944134%
4Butte College
Oroville Public · Certificate degree
$73,17024945%$15,414
5National University
San Diego Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$64,14318643%$31,817$28,014
6Yuba College
Marysville Public · Certificate degree
$62,3505740%
7California State University - East Bay
Hayward Public · Bachelor's degree
$45,38711748%$15,500
8Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$45,0222377%$48,795$14,000
9California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$43,122570%$23,129$20,000
10DeVry University - California
Ontario Private for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$43,091322%$35,320$54,985

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Correctional Officers and Jailers (SOC 33-3012).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
-7.8%
Decline
Openings / yr (US)
~30,100
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$57,970
typically High school diploma or equivalent

Top skills

Active ListeningMonitoringSpeakingCritical ThinkingReading ComprehensionActive Learning

What Correctional Officers and Jailers earn in California

Jobs in California
37,860
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$92,410
median $96,370
Best-paying metro
$126,290
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA

Related careers

Security Guards
$44,920 avg · 199,480 jobs
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers
$112,980 avg · 65,940 jobs
Child, Family, and School Social Workers
$71,940 avg · 60,310 jobs
Compliance Officers
$102,490 avg · 49,880 jobs
Correctional Officers and Jailers
$92,410 avg · 37,860 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Criminal Justice and Corrections programs in California.

Which Criminal Justice and Corrections program in California has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (College Scorecard), Santa Rosa Junior College tops the list at $111,649. Compare it against completions, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Correctional Officers and Jailers earn in California?+

The average annual wage for Correctional Officers and Jailers in California is $92,410 (median $96,370), across about 37,860 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Criminal Justice and Corrections program?+

The Criminal Justice and Corrections program focuses on the various functions carried out by government agencies related to the punishment, treatment, and supervision of individuals convicted of crimes. This program is ideal for students…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop active listening, monitoring, speaking, critical thinking, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Correctional Officers and Jailers?+

The national job outlook is about -7.8% growth with around 30,100 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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