Best Criminal Justice programs in Washington, ranked by enrollment
Teach courses in criminal justice, corrections, and law enforcement administration.
30 schools in Washington run programs that feed this job, graduating 825 people a year. The job pays a median of $72,700 in Washington across about 120 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Washington that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
12 programs in Washington that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Washington (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Washington page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 45.0401In Washington → | 251 | 30.4% | 4 | $37,366 | $25,000 |
| 2 | CIP 43.0104In Washington → | 157 | 19.0% | 4 | $37,408 | $24,069 |
| 3 | CIP 43.0103In Washington → | 124 | 15.0% | 11 | $37,408 | $24,069 |
| 4 | CIP 43.0107In Washington → | 106 | 12.8% | 9 | $37,408 | $24,069 |
| 5 | CIP 43.0404In Washington → | 75 | 9.1% | 2 | $40,889 | $25,000 |
| 6 | CIP 43.0406In Washington → | 34 | 4.1% | 5 | $40,889 | $25,000 |
| 7 | CIP 43.0402In Washington → | 27 | 3.3% | 1 | $40,889 | $25,000 |
| 8 | CIP 43.0102In Washington → | 15 | 1.8% | 1 | $37,408 | $24,069 |
| 9 | CIP 03.0208In Washington → | 14 | 1.7% | 1 | $37,946 | $24,125 |
| 10 | CIP 43.0405In Washington → | 14 | 1.7% | 1 | $40,889 | $25,000 |
| 11 | CIP 43.0199In Washington → | 7 | 0.8% | 1 | $37,408 | $24,069 |
| 12 | CIP 43.0408In Washington → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $40,889 | $25,000 |
Top 25 schools in Washington
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 6 of the 30 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington State University Pullman, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 143 | Criminology | — | 60% | — | 87% |
| 2 | Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 109 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | $44,172 | 54% | — | 91% |
| 3 | City University of Seattle Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 75 | Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy | — | — | $35,049 | — |
| 4 | Green River College Auburn, WA Public · 3 feeder programs | 65 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | — | 39% | — | — |
| 5 | Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 62 | Criminology | $40,228 | 43% | — | 91% |
| 6 | Seattle University Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 61 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | $51,100 | 76% | $31,900 | 77% |
| 7 | Pierce College District Lakewood, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 51 | Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration | — | 31% | — | — |
| 8 | University of Washington - Tacoma Campus Tacoma, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 50 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | $40,669 | 63% | — | 83% |
| 9 | Gonzaga University Spokane, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 36 | Criminology | $38,028 | 86% | $30,006 | 82% |
| 10 | Yakima Valley College Yakima, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 22 | Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration | — | 29% | — | — |
| 11 | Saint Martin's University Lacey, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | — | 52% | $22,131 | 90% |
| 12 | North Seattle College Seattle, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation | — | 33% | — | — |
| 13 | Skagit Valley College Mount Vernon, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services | — | 36% | — | — |
| 14 | Walla Walla Community College Walla Walla, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration | — | 38% | — | — |
| 15 | Heritage University Toppenish, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | — | 54% | $13,380 | — |
| 16 | Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Criminology | — | 69% | $19,944 | 78% |
| 17 | Shoreline College Shoreline, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration | — | 29% | — | — |
| 18 | Bellevue College Bellevue, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration | — | 36% | — | — |
| 19 | Centralia College Centralia, WA Public · 2 feeder programs | 8 | Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration | — | 42% | — | — |
| 20 | Columbia Basin College Pasco, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration | — | 33% | — | — |
| 21 | Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other | — | 62% | $24,653 | 83% |
| 22 | Spokane Community College Spokane, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | $41,451 | 33% | — | — |
| 23 | Peninsula College Port Angeles, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration | — | 37% | — | — |
| 24 | Whatcom Community College Bellingham, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration | — | 36% | — | — |
| 25 | Grays Harbor College Aberdeen, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Criminal Justice/Police Science | — | 39% | — | — |
All 30 schools in Washington
Every school in Washington with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington State University | Pullman | Public | 143 | 1 |
| Central Washington University | Ellensburg | Public | 109 | 2 |
| City University of Seattle | Seattle | Private not-for-profit | 75 | 2 |
| Green River College | Auburn | Public | 65 | 3 |
| Eastern Washington University | Cheney | Public | 62 | 2 |
| Seattle University | Seattle | Private not-for-profit | 61 | 4 |
| Pierce College District | Lakewood | Public | 51 | 2 |
| University of Washington - Tacoma Campus | Tacoma | Public | 50 | 1 |
| Gonzaga University | Spokane | Private not-for-profit | 36 | 1 |
| Yakima Valley College | Yakima | Public | 22 | 2 |
| Saint Martin's University | Lacey | Private not-for-profit | 15 | 1 |
| North Seattle College | Seattle | Public | 14 | 1 |
| Skagit Valley College | Mount Vernon | Public | 14 | 1 |
| Walla Walla Community College | Walla Walla | Public | 13 | 1 |
| Heritage University | Toppenish | Private not-for-profit | 12 | 1 |
What criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary earn in Washington
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $76,590. Washington pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Washington
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary page.
How to become a Criminal Justice
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Washington
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 25 majors mapped to Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary21 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 03.0208Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services
- 43.0100Criminal Justice and Corrections, General
- 43.0102Corrections
- 43.0103Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
- 43.0104Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
- 43.0107Criminal Justice/Police Science
- 43.0109Security and Loss Prevention Services
- 43.0110Juvenile Corrections
- 43.0112Securities Services Administration/Management
- 43.0113Corrections Administration
- 43.0114Law Enforcement Investigation and Interviewing
- 43.0115Law Enforcement Record-Keeping and Evidence Management(no graduates reported)
- 43.0119Critical Incident Response/Special Police Operations
- 43.0120Protective Services Operations
- 43.0121Suspension and Debarment Investigation(no graduates reported)
- 43.0122Maritime Law Enforcement(no graduates reported)
- 43.0123Cultural/Archaelogical Resources Protection(no graduates reported)
- 43.0199Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other
- 43.0304Terrorism and Counterterrorism Operations
- 43.0399Homeland Security, Other
- 43.0401Security Science and Technology, General
- 43.0402Criminalistics and Criminal Science
- 43.0403Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism
- 43.0404Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy
- 43.0405Financial Forensics and Fraud Investigation
Common questions
Answers for people weighing criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary programs in Washington.
What degree do you need to become a Criminal Justice?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Criminology, which awarded 251 degrees in Washington in 2024-25, 30.4% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Criminal Justice?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 12 programs to this occupation. The largest are Criminal Justice and Corrections, Criminology, Security Science and Technology, Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy. Together they graduate about 825 people a year in Washington.
How much do criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary earn in Washington?+
The median is $72,700 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 5.1% below the U.S. median of $76,590. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary growing?+
BLS projects a +2.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 1,200 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Washington?+
30 institutions in Washington reported graduates from at least one of the 12 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do criminal justice and law enforcement teachers, postsecondary work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Criminal Justice Professor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1111.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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