Criminal Justice Associate Degrees in North Dakota

Updated October 7, 2026

A criminal justice associate degree in North Dakota takes about two years and roughly 60 credits, and federal data lists five in-state schools offering one. Public two-year tuition and fees averaged $6,455 for 2025-26 (College Board). The degree isn’t a license: police work requires a separate peace-officer license from the state’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board.

Before you enroll, get one thing straight: an associate degree in criminal justice is an education, not a license. Police work in North Dakota requires peace-officer licensure through the North Dakota POST Board, and full-time officers generally first obtain a limited license, complete board-certified basic training, and pass the North Dakota Peace Officer Licensing Examination. Corrections, security and courtroom employers set their own hiring bars, and for all of them the degree puts two years of criminal law, policing and corrections coursework on your application, plus credits you can carry into a bachelor’s later.

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What Does a Criminal Justice Associate Degree Cover in North Dakota?

An associate degree is the shortest college credential that covers the whole system: police, courts and corrections. It’s also the cheapest, which matters if you aren’t sure yet which part of the system you want. If you’re still weighing the level itself, the national guide to associate degree programs goes deeper on how it compares.

• Time: Plan on four to six semesters. Four if you’re full time, closer to six if you’re working shifts and carrying a reduced load.
• Credits: Expect roughly 60 to 69. The number depends on the school and on whether the program is built to transfer into a bachelor’s (an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science) or to send you straight to work (an Associate of Applied Science).
• Tuition: College Board’s Trends in College Pricing 2025 puts North Dakota’s average public two-year in-district tuition and fees at $6,455 for 2025-26, against a national average of $4,150 (College Board, 2025). Community college here costs more than it does in most states, so budget for it.

The core coursework is consistent from school to school. Expect criminal law, criminological theory, juvenile justice, and policing and police-community relations, with report writing and constitutional procedure folded in. Specialized degrees narrow that focus.

Federal education data shows North Dakota’s associate options falling into three families: general criminal justice and corrections, legal support (paralegal and legal assistant training), and fire protection. If you’re aiming at homeland security, that path in North Dakota starts at the bachelor’s level, per the same data.

Make room for an internship or field experience course if your program offers one. A semester riding along, working a jail booking desk, or filing for a county prosecutor shows you the job before you commit to it, and it puts you in front of the people who’ll be doing the hiring.

Which North Dakota Schools Offer a Criminal Justice Associate Degree?

Five North Dakota institutions report an associate program in a criminal-justice-family field, per U.S. Department of Education data. None of them is registered as distance-only. Federal data lags a college’s catalog, so check enrollment, format and admission requirements with each school directly before you apply.

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.

How Do You Pay for a Criminal Justice Associate Degree in North Dakota?

Start with the FAFSA, because federal Pell Grants and most state aid run through it. Nationally, first-time full-time students at public two-year colleges have received enough grant aid on average to cover their tuition and fees since 2009-10 (College Board, 2025). That’s an average, not a promise, but it’s a reason to file before you take out a loan.

If wildlife law enforcement is on your list, look at the North Dakota Game Wardens Association scholarship, posted by the state Game and Fish Department. Its 2025 cycle offered two $600 awards to college students headed into wildlife law enforcement or a related field. The deadline has moved from year to year, so check the page before you plan around it.

What Jobs Can You Get With a Criminal Justice Associate Degree in North Dakota?

Growth isn’t the whole story here. North Dakota’s correctional officer employment is projected to shrink 6.4% from 2024 to 2034, yet turnover still opens about 90 jobs a year (ProjectionsCentral). Patrol runs the other way, with about 160 openings a year and 6.1% growth, but you won’t work a shift in uniform without POST licensure on top of whatever degree you bring.

Read the top of that table carefully. Detectives earn the most, at a median of $82,290 in May 2025 (BLS), but detective is generally not a typical entry-level role for a new associate-degree graduate. Police officers may advance or be promoted into detective positions after gaining experience. Probation and parole officers earn $65,140, and the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook notes they usually need a bachelor’s degree, so treat the associate as the first half of that path.

The realistic entry points with an associate in hand are security, corrections and, once you’ve completed POST licensing, patrol. Security guards earn a median of $39,310 in North Dakota, the lowest figure in the table, but security posts open about 180 times a year and give you supervised experience a hiring board can check. Paralegal work is the exception on the courtroom side: the BLS reports paralegals typically need an associate degree or a certificate in paralegal studies, and North Dakota paralegals earn a median of $59,430.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for police and sheriff’s patrol officers and detectives, correctional officers, security guards, probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, and paralegals and legal assistants. Long-term (2024-34) job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, ProjectionsCentral. Figures reflect state-level data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need an associate degree to become a police officer in North Dakota?

The degree and the license are separate things. North Dakota law requires a peace-officer license from the North Dakota POST Board to perform law-enforcement duties. Full-time officers generally first obtain a limited license, complete board-certified basic training, and then pass the North Dakota Peace Officer Licensing Examination, which POST representatives administer. Part-time and reserve officers follow different rules, and the board can grant certain training waivers, so check the POST Board’s current requirements and your target department’s posting.

How much does a criminal justice associate degree cost in North Dakota?

College Board puts North Dakota’s average public two-year in-district tuition and fees at $6,455 for 2025-26, before books, fees for a specific program, and living costs. Multiply by two for a full-time associate, then subtract whatever grant aid your FAFSA turns up.

Will a criminal justice associate degree transfer to a bachelor’s program?

Often, but it depends on the type. Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees are usually built to transfer, while an Associate of Applied Science is built for work and may carry fewer transferable credits. Ask the four-year school you’re eyeing for its transfer agreement before you pick a program.

What jobs can you get with a criminal justice associate degree in North Dakota?

The common entry points are security, corrections, paralegal work and, once you hold a POST Board license, patrol. North Dakota patrol officers earned a median of $74,500 in May 2025 (BLS), with about 160 openings a year projected through 2034 (ProjectionsCentral).

Key Takeaways

• The degree isn’t the badge: Full-time officers in North Dakota generally hold a limited license, complete board-certified basic training, and pass the state licensing exam before the POST Board issues a full license. Plan for both the degree and that process if patrol is the goal.
• Five in-state schools: Federal data lists Bismarck State, Lake Region State, Rasmussen, Sitting Bull and United Tribes Technical College. Check program details with each school directly.
• Budget above the national average: North Dakota public two-year tuition and fees averaged $6,455 for 2025-26, against $4,150 nationally (College Board).
• Turnover drives hiring: Corrections is projected to shrink, yet still opens about 90 jobs a year. Security opens about 180.
• Pick the degree type on purpose: An AA or AS is built to transfer. An AAS is built for work.

Worried about paying for the degree? The scholarships guide lists awards built for criminal justice majors, with eligibility, amounts and deadlines. Read it before you sign for a loan.

Read: Scholarships for Criminal Justice Majors and Grad Students

Looking for a Criminal Justice Associate Program in Another State?

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