Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice in Alabama: Schools, Jobs and Pay
Updated October 7, 2026
Twenty Alabama campuses report a criminal-justice-family bachelor’s degree, per U.S. Department of Education data, from the University of Alabama and Troy to Jacksonville State and Alabama A&M. You don’t need the degree to become a police officer here. Where it pays off is promotion, federal agencies, and probation and parole work.
Here’s the part most program brochures leave out: Alabama’s statewide standard for police officers doesn’t require a bachelor’s degree. The Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC) generally requires applicants without a qualifying associate degree or higher to hold a high school diploma or GED and pass the ACT WorkKeys Assessment used as APOSTC’s Basic Ability Test (BAT). Certain previously certified officers are also exempt from the BAT. For certification, officers are generally provisionally appointed by an employing agency and must complete the required APOSTC academy training within the applicable provisional-appointment period. So the degree isn’t your way in. It’s what you carry once you’re in, when a promotion board compares your file to the next candidate’s, or when you apply to an agency that requires one, such as the FBI.
Below are the Alabama schools that report a criminal justice bachelor’s, what the coursework covers, the parole system many graduates go to work in, and what the jobs pay as of the May 2025 BLS wage data.
Where to Study: Alabama Schools Offering a Criminal Justice Bachelor’s
Per U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data, 20 institutions with Alabama campuses report a bachelor’s degree in a criminal-justice-family field. Nearly all of them offer criminal justice itself. A few also report security science and technology (the federal category that includes forensic science), homeland security, fire protection, or legal support services.
| School | City | Type | Bachelor’s Fields Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama A&M University | Normal | Public | Criminal Justice |
| Alabama State University | Montgomery | Public | Criminal Justice, Security Science and Technology |
| Athens State University | Athens | Public | Criminal Justice, Fire Protection |
| Auburn University at Montgomery | Montgomery | Public | Criminal Justice |
| Faulkner University | Montgomery | Private nonprofit | Criminal Justice |
| Herzing University-Birmingham | Birmingham | Private nonprofit | Criminal Justice, Homeland Security, Legal Support Services |
| Huntingdon College | Montgomery | Private nonprofit | Criminal Justice |
| Jacksonville State University | Jacksonville | Public | Criminal Justice |
| Miles College | Fairfield | Private nonprofit | Criminal Justice |
| Remington College-Mobile Campus | Mobile | Private nonprofit | Criminal Justice |
| Samford University | Birmingham | Private nonprofit | Criminal Justice, Legal Support Services |
| South University-Montgomery | Montgomery | Private for-profit | Criminal Justice, Legal Support Services |
| Stillman College | Tuscaloosa | Private nonprofit | Criminal Justice |
| Strayer University-Alabama | Birmingham | Private for-profit | Criminal Justice |
| Talladega College | Talladega | Private nonprofit | Criminal Justice |
| The University of Alabama | Tuscaloosa | Public | Criminal Justice |
| Troy University | Troy | Public | Criminal Justice |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham | Public | Criminal Justice |
| University of North Alabama | Florence | Public | Criminal Justice |
| University of South Alabama | Mobile | Public | Criminal Justice |
Two more Alabama-registered schools, Amridge University in Montgomery and Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach, deliver their programs entirely online, so they aren’t counted as campus options above. Columbia Southern reports bachelor’s programs in criminal justice, fire protection, and homeland security. Amridge reports criminal justice.
Treat the list as a starting point, not a catalog. Federal data reflects what each school reported to the Department of Education, and programs change between reporting cycles. Check enrollment status, delivery format, and admission requirements with the school before you apply.
What You’ll Study
A criminal justice bachelor’s lets you study a variety of specialties, from corrections and criminology to policing. Typical course titles include Private Security, Juvenile Delinquency, Introduction to Law Enforcement, and Cyber Criminals & Computer Forensics. Expect a heavy reading load in criminal law and procedure, plenty of report writing, and at least one research methods or statistics course, which is the class most students underestimate.
Most programs close with an internship or practicum at a local criminal justice employer, such as a sheriff’s office, a district attorney’s office, or a probation district. Take it seriously. It’s the first time a working professional watches you do the job, and it’s often where your first reference, or your first offer, comes from.
The Parole System Many Graduates Go to Work In
If probation or parole is your target, know the system’s recent history before your interview. In 2015, AL.com reported on a proposed law that promised to overhaul Alabama’s parole system and tighten supervision. Release rates later moved the other way. The parole board granted release to 53% of eligible inmates in 2018, then the rate fell sharply after the board was reformed in 2019. By fiscal year 2024 it had climbed back only to a 20% average, well below the more than 80% its own guidelines recommended, according to Alabama Daily News.
The board got a new chair, Hal Nash, in July 2025, and the field side runs on 172 parole officers spread across the state’s districts, per the Alabama Political Reporter. That’s the job: supervising people the public is watching closely, inside a system the legislature is still arguing about.
Paying for the Degree
Depending on the school you attend in Alabama, you may be able to apply for a variety of scholarships and grants, and the FAFSA unlocks most of them. One statewide award gets mentioned a lot, so read its eligibility before you count on it. The Alabama Sheriffs Association awards up to five scholarships a year at $2,500 each, but only to sons and daughters of full-time sheriff’s office employees who’ll attend an Alabama college or university and pursue a degree aimed at law enforcement, corrections, or another part of criminal justice. Applications go through your local sheriff.
Job Outlook and Pay for Alabama Criminal Justice Graduates
As of the May 2025 BLS wage data, Alabama’s police and sheriff’s patrol officers earned a median of $51,270 a year, and ProjectionsCentral projects 4% growth in the state from 2024 to 2034, with about 940 openings a year. Here’s how the jobs a criminal justice bachelor’s most often leads to compare.
| Occupation | Alabama Median Pay (May 2025) | Projected Growth (2024-34) | Average Annual Openings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | $51,270 | 4.0% | 940 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $66,290 | 2.0% | 90 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $75,970 | 3.8% | 130 |
| Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists | $61,050 | 2.0% | 100 |
| Correctional Officers and Jailers | $46,660 | -7.1% | 390 |
| Bailiffs | $42,300 | -1.9% | 10 |
Three lines deserve a closer look. Criminal investigators earn a median of $66,290 a year in Alabama, but detective work is something you’re promoted into after patrol, which is where a degree tends to matter more than it did on hiring day. Bailiffs earn a median of $42,300 a year, and the outlook for bailiffs is a slight decline with about 10 openings a year statewide, so don’t plan a career around one. Corrections shrinks on paper by 7.1%, yet still posts about 390 openings a year, because people leave the job faster than the job disappears.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a bachelor’s degree to become a police officer in Alabama?
No. APOSTC generally requires applicants without a qualifying associate degree or higher to hold a high school diploma or GED and pass the ACT WorkKeys Assessment used as APOSTC’s Basic Ability Test (BAT). Certain previously certified officers are also exempt from the BAT. Officers are generally provisionally appointed by an employing agency and must complete the required APOSTC academy training within the applicable provisional-appointment period. Some departments set a higher bar, so check your target agency’s posting. The degree matters most for promotion, federal agencies, and probation or parole work.
How many Alabama schools offer a criminal justice bachelor’s degree?
Per College Scorecard data, 20 institutions with Alabama campuses report a criminal-justice-family bachelor’s, and two more Alabama-registered schools, Amridge University and Columbia Southern University, offer theirs online only. Confirm that a program is still enrolling before you apply.
Can I earn a criminal justice bachelor’s online in Alabama?
Yes. Amridge University and Columbia Southern University are fully online. Many campus-based schools also run online or hybrid sections, but the federal data doesn’t track delivery format, so ask each school directly.
What can I earn with a criminal justice bachelor’s in Alabama?
It depends on the job. As of May 2025 BLS data, Alabama medians run from $42,300 for bailiffs to $75,970 for first-line supervisors of police and detectives, with patrol officers at $51,270 and probation officers and correctional treatment specialists at $61,050.
Key Takeaways
- Twenty Alabama campuses report the degree – per College Scorecard data, plus two online-only schools registered in the state.
- The badge doesn’t require it – APOSTC’s baseline for applicants without an associate degree is a high school diploma or GED plus the ACT WorkKeys-based BAT, with academy training completed during provisional appointment.
- The degree pays later – promotion, federal agencies, and probation and parole work are where a bachelor’s earns its keep.
- Read scholarship fine print – the Alabama Sheriffs Association award is limited to children of full-time sheriff’s office employees.
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 take out a loan.
Read: Scholarships for Criminal Justice Majors and Grad Students
May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for police and detectives, correctional officers and bailiffs, and probation officers and correctional treatment specialists. 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.
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.
Want the bigger picture? Read the full guide to Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice.