Criminal Justice Associate Degree Programs in Arkansas

Updated October 1, 2026

Arkansas has 29 in-state colleges offering a criminal justice associate degree, plus one fully online option. Full-time students finish in about two years; the state’s public two-year colleges average $3,403 a year in tuition and fees (College Board, 2016). All Arkansas protective service occupations combined pay a median of $43,350 a year, per May 2025 BLS wage data.

Arkansas’s prison population has grown enough to draw a statewide task force (UALR Public Radio, 2016), and that pressure is reshaping how the state trains the people who work inside its justice system. If you’re weighing a two-year degree against jumping straight into an academy—here’s what the associate route actually looks like: what it costs, which schools offer it, and what it opens up once you’re done.

Featured Programs:

What an Arkansas Criminal Justice Associate Degree Covers

Most Arkansas community colleges run the criminal justice associate degree on a four-semester, full-time track, so plan on two years at a normal course load. If a traditional classroom doesn’t fit your schedule, an online criminal justice associate degree program covers the same ground through video lectures, discussion boards, and group projects, timed around a job instead of a bell schedule.

Arkansas schools offer more than one lane into the field. Beyond the general track, you’ll find crime scene investigation, law enforcement, fire science, corrections, and forensics programs, depending on the school.

If you go the general route, expect coursework like:

Foundations of Criminology
Social Problems
Juvenile Delinquency
Criminal Evidence and Procedure
Community Relations in Law Enforcement
Criminal Investigations

Statewide, the numbers break down like this:

Timeframe: 2 years full-time
In-state tuition and fees at a public two-year Arkansas college: $3,403 a year on average (College Board, 2016)
Credits required: 60-63

Where to Study a Criminal Justice Associate Degree in Arkansas

Twenty-nine Arkansas institutions offer a criminal-justice-family associate program on campus, and one more offers it fully online, per U.S. Department of Education data. The table below lists all 30, the program area each offers, and whether it’s a two-year or four-year school.

This reflects what each school reported to the Department of Education in its most recent filing, not necessarily what it’s actively enrolling today. Confirm current admission requirements, format, and whether a specific program is still open directly with the school before you apply.

Institution	City	Program Area(s)	School Type
Arkansas Northeastern College	Blytheville	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
Arkansas State University	Jonesboro	Criminal Justice, Homeland Security	Public, 4-year
Arkansas State University Three Rivers	Malvern	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
Arkansas State University-Beebe	Beebe	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
Arkansas State University-Mountain Home	Mountain Home	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
Arkansas State University-Newport	Newport	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
Arkansas Tech University	Russellville	Criminal Justice	Public, 4-year
Black River Technical College	Pocahontas	Criminal Justice, Fire Protection	Public, 2-year
Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas	De Queen	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
East Arkansas Community College	Forrest City	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
National Park College	Hot Springs	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
North Arkansas College	Harrison	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
NorthWest Arkansas Community College	Bentonville	Legal Support Services, Criminal Justice, Fire Protection, Homeland Security/Law Enforcement (Other)	Public, 2-year
Ozarka College	Melbourne	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas	Helena	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
Shorter College	North Little Rock	Criminal Justice	Private nonprofit, 2-year
South Arkansas College	El Dorado	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
Southeast Arkansas College	Pine Bluff	Legal Support Services, Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
Southern Arkansas University Tech	Camden	Fire Protection	Public, 2-year
Strayer University-Arkansas	Little Rock	Criminal Justice	Private for-profit, 4-year
University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville	Batesville	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton	Morrilton	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
University of Arkansas Grantham (fully online)	Little Rock	Criminal Justice	Public, 4-year
University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana	Hope	Criminal Justice	Public, 2-year
University of Arkansas at Little Rock	Little Rock	Criminal Justice	Public, 4-year
University of Arkansas at Monticello	Monticello	Criminal Justice	Public, 4-year
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff	Pine Bluff	Criminal Justice	Public, 4-year
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith	Fort Smith	Legal Support Services, Criminal Justice	Public, 4-year
University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College	North Little Rock	Legal Support Services	Public, 2-year
University of Central Arkansas	Conway	Criminal Justice	Public, 4-year

School and program data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, institution file May 2025 and field-of-study file April 2025. Data accessed October 2026.

What an Arkansas Criminal Justice Degree Can Lead To

A degree gets you in the door, not the job itself. Arkansas law-enforcement officers must meet CLEST (Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training) employment standards, including applicable background and medical requirements, and complete required commission-approved basic training. Individual agencies may impose additional hiring requirements, such as fitness or written testing. Where the associate helps is the hiring stack: some departments weigh it in your favor, and it transfers cleanly into a bachelor’s if you decide to go further later.

Across all protective service occupations in Arkansas, the median annual wage was $43,350 in May 2025, according to BLS OEWS data. That figure spans everything from entry-level patrol, guard, and inspection work to supervisory roles, so where you land depends on the specific occupation, the agency, and your time on the job.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to earn a criminal justice associate degree in Arkansas?

Full-time students typically finish in about two years, or four semesters. Credit requirements across Arkansas programs run 60 to 63 credits, so your exact timeline depends on how many courses you carry each term and whether you start with transfer credit.

How much does a criminal justice associate degree cost in Arkansas?

In-state tuition and fees at Arkansas’s public two-year colleges averaged $3,403 a year, according to College Board data from 2016. Actual program cost varies by school and by whether you’re at a two-year community college or a four-year university’s associate track, so confirm current pricing directly with the schools you’re considering.

Can I earn my associate degree online in Arkansas?

Yes. Arkansas’s online criminal justice associate degree programs cover the same coursework as an in-person track, through video lectures, discussion boards, and group projects you can complete around a work schedule. One Arkansas-registered institution in the Department of Education data offers the degree exclusively online.

Will an associate degree get me hired as a police officer in Arkansas?

An associate degree does not replace Arkansas’s law-enforcement certification and training requirements. Officers must meet minimum standards established by the Arkansas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training (CLEST) and complete required approved training; individual agencies may also require written exams, fitness testing, interviews, or other screening.

What can I do with a criminal justice associate degree?

Graduates typically move into entry-level roles in law enforcement, corrections, private security, or court support positions, depending on the specialty track they studied. Many use the associate as a stepping stone, transferring the credits into a bachelor’s program later if they want to qualify for federal agencies or supervisory roles.

Key Takeaways

Two years, 60-63 credits – Most Arkansas programs run four semesters full-time.
30 Arkansas schools, 1 fully online – 29 offer the degree on campus, and one offers it exclusively online, per federal education data.
Average cost: $3,403 a year – Arkansas’s public two-year in-state tuition and fees average, per 2016 College Board data; confirm current pricing with individual schools.
A degree doesn’t replace CLEST requirements – Arkansas law-enforcement officers must meet state minimum standards and required training, while individual agencies may impose additional hiring requirements.
Protective service pay: $43,350 median – Covers all Arkansas protective service occupations statewide, per May 2025 BLS wage data.

If cost is what’s holding you back, start with the scholarship list from the Arkansas Fraternal Order of Police before you look at loans. And if Arkansas isn’t where you’re searching, the state picker below pulls up the same breakdown for wherever you’re headed.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Police and Detectives, Correctional Officers and Bailiffs, and Security Guards and Gambling Surveillance Officers. Figures reflect state-level data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed October 2026.

Want the bigger picture? Read the full guide to Associate Degrees in Criminal Justice.