Best Online Criminal Justice Master’s Degree Programs
Updated September 24, 2026
The country’s top-ranked online criminal justice master’s programs, including Columbia College, Arizona State University, and Sam Houston State University, combine flexible online delivery with 30 to 36 credit-hour curricula covering research methods, criminal justice management, and specialized tracks like cybersecurity or homeland security. Compare tuition, credit requirements, and admission standards before you apply.
Twenty-six programs made this list, all of them online and all of them institutionally accredited. Some emphasize research and theory alongside management and policy coursework, useful if you’re weighing a doctorate down the road. Others lean harder into administration and leadership for agency advancement. A few let you specialize in cybercrime, homeland security, or forensic psychology. Here’s how they compare, drawn from multiple current national rankings.
Learn more about how we selected and compared these schools.
* Indicates that multiple schools tied for these ranks.
1. Columbia College (Columbia, MO)
Columbia College is a private, nonprofit college with more than 18,000 students. It offers associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees online and on campus, including several in criminal justice.
Columbia College’s Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) is a management-focused, non-thesis program built for professionals moving into supervisory and administrative roles. The 36-credit curriculum blends 27 core hours in policy, research, ethics, budgeting, and organizational leadership with a 9-credit Law Enforcement Administration emphasis, capped by a capstone course.
Courses run in 8-week sessions, six times a year, 100% online.
Tuition Rates (2026-27)
- Standard Rate: $600 per credit hour
- Partnership Rate: $510 per credit hour
- Military-Affiliated Rate: $350 per credit hour
2.* Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ)
Arizona State University is a public university with more than 50,000 students. Its online master’s in criminal justice, offered through the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, earned a No. 10 ranking for 2026 from US News & World Report and has placed in the top 15 for 12 consecutive years.
The online M.A. in criminal justice is taught by faculty with expertise in gangs, fraud, courts, and corrections. Courses include Criminal Justice Planning and Program Evaluation, Applied Data Analysis in Criminal Justice, and a capstone project in Theory and Practice in Criminal Justice.
The 33-hour program runs as short as 18 months, full- or part-time. Applications require a 3.0 GPA or higher, but not GRE scores. The program is designed for working criminal justice professionals seeking an advanced degree; it does not itself confer eligibility for appointed, elected, or federally hired positions, which carry their own separate requirements.
Tuition Rates
$5,792.00 per semester
2.* Sam Houston State University (Huntsville, TX)
Sam Houston State University is a public university home to 20,000 students, offering more than 60 master’s degrees, including a criminal justice program available online.
Sam Houston State’s online M.S. in criminal justice is ranked No. 5, tied, for 2026 by US News & World Report’s Best Online Master’s Criminal Justice Programs. The 36-credit-hour program can be completed in two years. The College of Criminal Justice maintains strong relationships with local, state, and national agencies, and graduates have gone on to a range of criminal justice careers, though specific roles like judgeships and federal law enforcement appointments carry their own separate qualification and hiring processes.
Tuition Rates
$5,484.36 per semester for in-state students or $6,156 per semester for out-of-state students. Both rates include a distance learning fee.
4. Boston University (Boston, MA)
Boston University is a private research university with more than 30,000 students. Current and former BU faculty include eight Nobel Prize winners and 23 Pulitzer Prize winners.
BU’s Master of Science in criminal justice, offered through its Metropolitan College, teaches students to analyze criminal behavior, apply leadership principles, and research criminal justice policy across the judicial system. Concentrations include:
- Crime Analysis
- Cybercrime Investigation and Cybersecurity
- Strategic Management
Most students complete the 32-credit program in 16 to 18 months. Confirm current concentration offerings directly with the program before applying, since these can change between catalog years.
Tuition Rates
$490–$925 per credit hour for part-time students, or $28,427 per semester for full-time students
5. Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL)
Florida State University is a research university with 16 colleges, including the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, offering criminal justice degrees both online and on campus.
FSU’s online criminal justice master’s program emphasizes rigorous research to prepare students for advanced careers or further study in law school or a doctoral program. Courses include Criminology Theories, Victimology, Research Methodologies, Applied Statistics, and Race, Ethnicity, Crime, and Social Justice.
Students complete 36 total credit hours: 15 credit hours of required core coursework and 21 credit hours of electives, with up to 9 elective credit hours drawn from outside the college. GRE scores aren’t required for applicants with five or more years of related professional experience.
Tuition Rates
$444.26 per credit hour for in-state students or $1,075.66 per credit hour for out-of-state students
6. Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI)
Michigan State University, founded in 1855, is home to more than 50,000 students and over a hundred degree programs, including several in criminal justice.
The online master’s in criminal justice at MSU draws on an 80-year-old program to prepare students for careers in criminal investigation, cyber or national security, and emergency management. The two-year program teaches research techniques and analysis of current criminal justice challenges, taught by faculty with experience in the US Secret Service, local police departments, and international criminal justice research.
Tuition Rates
$14,144 per year for in-state students or $27,792 per year for out-of-state students
7. Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH)
Known as BGSU, Bowling Green State University is home to more than 40,000 students across all campuses. Its online criminal justice master’s program has been recognized in past US News & World Report online rankings; check the current-year Best Online Programs list for its latest standing before citing a specific number.
The 100% online, 11-course program lets students take one class at a time over seven-week terms, working through group conferences, live chats, and phone calls with faculty. Faculty hold doctorates and have real-world experience with organizations including the FBI and the National Institute of Justice.
Tuition Rates
$14,964 to complete the program
8. University of Colorado Denver (Denver, CO)
The University of Colorado Denver is a public research university whose School of Public Affairs offers the online Master of Criminal Justice (MCJ), ranked No. 21 of 99 programs in US News & World Report’s 2026 Best Online Programs. No GRE or GMAT is required.
Concentration options include:
- Crime Analysis
- Disasters, Hazards & Emergency Management
- Emergency Management & Homeland Security
- Gender-Based Violence
- Nonprofit Management
The program can be completed fully online, fully in-person, or in a hybrid format.
Tuition Rates
$761 per credit hour
9. East Carolina University (Greenville, NC)
East Carolina University, a public research university with more than 29,000 students, began as a teacher training school and now offers an online bachelor’s and master’s in criminal justice.
ECU’s Master of Science in criminal justice is taught by faculty with backgrounds in research, teaching, and law enforcement. Alumni have gone on to positions as judges, federal agency directors, correctional administrators, and chiefs of police, though these are separately governed appointment, hiring, or election processes rather than outcomes the degree itself confers.
Applicants need a bachelor’s degree. Whether a GRE waiver applies for professional experience varies by catalog year, so confirm current policy directly with ECU admissions before applying. The 36-credit-hour program requires a professional paper for completion. ECU also offers criminal justice certificates in education, public management and leadership, and security studies.
Tuition Rates
$249.26 per semester hour for in-state students or $893.82 per semester hour for out-of-state students. Military tuition discounts are available to veterans and their dependents.
10. University of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
Founded over 200 years ago, the University of Louisville is one of the first chartered universities west of the Allegheny Mountains, now home to more than 20,000 students and over 150 degree programs.
The online Master of Science in Criminal Justice, offered through the College of Arts & Sciences, runs 100% online across three intensive 8-week semesters. Coursework covers ethics, personnel management, corrections, cybercrime, juvenile justice, and international terrorism, with electives in capital punishment, violent crime, domestic violence, criminal justice in media, and substance abuse.
Applicants need a bachelor’s degree. The program accepts up to six transferred graduate credit hours from other accredited institutions.
Tuition Rates
$830 per credit hour standard rate, or $250 per credit hour for active-duty service members
11. University of Cincinnati (Clifton Heights, OH)
The University of Cincinnati, founded in 1819, enrolls 44,000 students across undergraduate and graduate programs, with three physical campuses and a large online catalog.
The online M.S. in criminal justice is a 33-credit-hour program that draws on sociology, psychology, and law alongside criminal justice best practices. Three concentrations are available:
- Analysis of Criminal Behavior
- Corrections and Offender Rehabilitation
- Law Enforcement & Crime Prevention
Coursework covers research methods, crime mapping, homeland security, technology, crime prevention, statistics, and police effectiveness. The degree takes one to two years.
Tuition Rates
- Part-Time: $761 per credit hour
- Full-Time (In-State): $7,451 per semester
- Full-Time (Out-of-State): $7,601 per semester
All costs include distance learning fees.
12. University of the Cumberlands (Williamsburg, KY)
The University of the Cumberlands is a private Baptist university with just over 13,000 students, awarding graduate degrees since 1988.
The online master’s in justice administration was designed by law enforcement professionals for law enforcement professionals. Specialization tracks include:
- Addiction Studies
- Corrections
- Criminal Justice Education
- Cybersecurity
- Digital Forensics
- Homeland Security
- Investigations
- Juvenile Justice
- Kentucky Law Enforcement Council (KLEC) certification pathway or equivalent state credentialing
- Law Enforcement
Admission requires a completed bachelor’s degree, a minimum 2.5 GPA, language fluency documentation for non-native speakers, and an interview with the program director.
Tuition Rates
$315 per credit hour
13. Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Indiana, PA)
Founded in 1875, IUP is a small school of just over 10,000 students located 55 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
The online Master of Arts in criminology and criminal justice prepares students for advanced careers in administration and research, including law enforcement and corrections at the local, state, and federal level. The curriculum covers research methods, statistics, and cybercrime, with a required synthesis or thesis project. IUP has also offered an accelerated pathway letting qualified undergraduates begin graduate coursework before finishing their bachelor’s degree; confirm the current structure and eligibility directly with IUP, since accelerated-pathway details vary by catalog year.
Full-time online students finish in one year, including two summer terms. Part-time students taking one class per semester finish in two years.
Tuition Rates
$516.00 per credit hour for in-state students or $774.00 per credit hour for out-of-state students
14. University of Wisconsin-Platteville (Platteville, WI)
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville, founded in 1866, enrolls nearly 9,000 students with a 20:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
The online Master of Science in criminal justice is a 30-credit program covering organizational management, problem-solving, communication, and research. Students choose from three areas of emphasis:
- Criminal Justice Theory
- Criminal Justice Management
- Victim and Offender Services
Coursework includes psychology, youth services, criminal law, cybercrime, crisis intervention, victimology, and policing. A capstone requirement applies; confirm with the program directly whether the current catalog requires a seminar paper, a thesis, or a choice between them. Applicants need a bachelor’s degree with a 2.75 GPA; GRE or GMAT scores aren’t required.
Tuition Rates
$695 per credit hour
15. Nova Southeastern University (Davie, FL)
Nova Southeastern University, founded in 1964, offers professional degrees through 18 colleges to more than 20,000 students, mostly at the graduate level.
The M.S. in criminal justice has offered concentration tracks including behavioral science, business administration, child protection and juvenile justice, conflict and crisis management, emergency preparedness leadership, information security, information systems, investigative forensic technology, and public administration. Confirm current concentration availability directly, since long specialization lists like this change between catalogs.
The 30-credit program includes 15 core credits, 12 specialization credits, and three elective credits, covering investigative processes, criminal evidence, legal research and writing, and forensic and social science issues.
Tuition Rates
$810 per credit hour for US-based students. Lower rates may apply for employees of affiliate partners.
16. Rowan University (Glassboro, NJ)
Rowan University, founded in 1923 as the Glassboro Normal School, now enrolls more than 18,000 students across over 100 degree programs.
The Master of Arts in criminal justice prepares students to research crime-prevention program effectiveness and understand how law shapes society and policing. The part-time, accelerated program finishes in five consecutive semesters. Courses include Administrative Law and Ethics, Research Methods, Courts and Supporting Agencies, Prevention and Rehabilitation, White Collar Crime, and Race, Ethnicity, Class, and Justice.
Admission requires a bachelor’s degree, a 2.5 GPA, a professional resume, a statement of professional objectives, and two letters of recommendation. Confirm current GRE policy directly with Rowan admissions before applying.
Tuition Rates
$767.00 per credit hour
17. University of California-Irvine (Irvine, CA)
The University of California-Irvine, one of 10 UC campuses, offers more than 200 degrees, including two primarily online criminal justice master’s programs:
The Criminology, Law, and Society program prepares students for advanced or leadership positions in criminal justice and law. The Legal and Forensic Psychology program applies psychological principles to the legal system, with graduates pursuing academics, research, and government agency roles.
Tuition Rates
- Criminology, Law, and Society: $14,826 per year
- Legal and Forensic Psychology: $14,469 per year
18. University of Nebraska-Omaha (Omaha, NE)
The University of Nebraska-Omaha, formerly the University of Omaha, is home to more than 15,000 students across undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs.
The M.S. in criminology and criminal justice is available online, in person, or both. The 36-hour program requires 11 courses and a capstone project; full-time students finish in 18 months. Coursework covers statistical applications, women and criminal justice, mental health in schools, ethical issues, career development, counseling techniques, and public economy.
Admission requires a bachelor’s degree and a 3.0 GPA in the final two undergraduate years, with provisional admission available for students below that mark. GRE scores aren’t required.
Tuition Rates
$371 per credit hour for in-state students or $617 per credit hour for out-of-state students
19. Colorado State University-Global Campus (Aurora, CO)
Colorado State University-Global Campus is an online-only, nonprofit state school accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and part of the Colorado State University System.
The online criminal justice program covers ethics, decision-making, and crime’s impact on society, with specializations including finance, human resource management, organizational leadership and change management, organizational learning and performance, project management, and strategic digital information marketing.
The program requires 36 credits in research and writing, ethics, restorative justice, and applied research. Courses are revised every 12 to 18 months. Most students finish in 18 months.
Tuition Rates
$500 per credit hour. Tuition discounts are available for employees of CSU Global partners.
20. Florida International University (Miami, FL)
Florida International University has offered distance learning for more than 20 years.
The master’s in criminal justice program splits into two tracks: an M.S. in criminal justice for students headed toward a doctorate or academic research, and an M.A. in global affairs with a focus on international crime and justice for professionals in domestic and international law enforcement. Courses cover criminology theory, data analysis, and transnational crime.
FIU also offers a Professional Master of Science in forensic science, delivered in a hybrid format due to laboratory practice requirements.
Tuition Rates
- M.S. in Criminal Justice: $18,031.15 to complete the program
- M.A. in Global Affairs: $31,350 to complete the program
- Forensic Science: $31,350 to complete the program
21. Lamar University (Beaumont, TX)
Lamar University, also called LU, is a public university with a student body of just over 15,000, offering degrees at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels, including a fully-online Master of Science in criminal justice.
The 30-credit degree builds on bachelor’s-level theory and develops administrative skills for an advanced legal or law enforcement career. Courses include Theoretical Foundations, Planning and Evaluation, Criminal Justice Leadership, and two thesis courses, with four elective courses from business, counseling, education, political science, or psychology.
The program is 100% online with multiple start dates and can be completed in as few as 12 months. Unconditional acceptance requires a 3.0 GPA and official transcripts; GRE scores aren’t required.
Tuition Rates
$9,000 to complete the program
22.* Pace University (New York City, NY)
Pace University has operated since 1906. Its graduate programs enroll just under 5,000 students at a 16:1 student-to-teacher ratio.
Pace offers two master’s degrees in criminal justice: homeland security and information technology with a cybersecurity concentration.
The M.A. in homeland security prepares students for disaster management and terrorist-attack response, with coursework in public health, public sector management and planning, and human rights, taught in part by FBI and FEMA veterans. The M.S. in information technology covers computer programming, digital forensics, and cybersecurity policy.
Tuition Rates
- Homeland Security: $28,000 to complete the program
- Information Technology: $29,850 to complete the program
23.* Western Kentucky University (Bowling Green, KY)
Western Kentucky University offers 80 undergraduate, 10 master’s, and several doctoral degrees, many available online.
The online Master of Arts in criminology teaches students to research and evaluate crime patterns through a social-scientific lens, with a focus on the causes of offending. Courses cover crime correlations, quantitative methods of social research, the penal system, family violence, and rehabilitation and recidivism. Several courses run on-demand.
The 30-credit program requires a criminology research project submitted as a peer-reviewed journal article. Confirm current admissions-test and final-exam requirements directly with WKU, since these details vary by catalog year.
Tuition Rates
$707 per credit hour
24. Saint Elizabeth University (Online)
Saint Elizabeth University, a private Roman Catholic college founded in 1899, offers more than 20 undergraduate, 14 master’s, and three doctoral programs, including one in criminal justice.
The online M.A. in justice administration and public service covers the social, ethical, and political issues shaping the criminal justice system, aimed at students headed into law, law enforcement, corrections, or victim advocacy. Coursework includes Community Policing, Women and the Law, Victimization and Justice, Cybercrime, Investigation and Digital Evidence, Research Methods in Justice Studies, and Homeland Security, capped by a capstone seminar. Saint Elizabeth also offers a combined B.A./M.A. track and certificate programs in counter-terrorism, cybersecurity investigation, and community leadership.
Applicants need a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university (or an equivalent international degree) and a B undergraduate average.
Tuition Rates
$1,001 per credit hour
25. New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, NM)
New Mexico State University, established in 1888, enrolls more than 24,000 students across undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs.
The online Master of Criminal Justice (MCJ) offers two paths: a focused coursework option (36 credits, ending in a written comprehensive exam) or a thesis option (33 credits). Courses use the same faculty and content as the on-campus program. NMSU doesn’t require the GRE for admission.
Admission requires a 3.0 GPA, letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and a writing sample.
Tuition Rates
$444.40 per credit hour standard rate, or $250 per credit hour for active law enforcement
26. Faulkner University (Montgomery, AL)
Faulkner University, a private Christian university with more than 5,000 students, offers 27 online graduate degrees.
The fully-online Master of Justice Administration builds practical skills for career advancement at the state and federal level. Students can finish in as few as 14 months, with year-round enrollment every six weeks. Courses cover criminal justice writing, policing in America, ethics, courts, and research methods, capped by a final research project.
Admission requires a bachelor’s degree, a minimum 2.5 GPA, three letters of recommendation, a letter of intent, and a resume. Faulkner requires MAT scores specifically for applicants below its GPA threshold; this is a Faulkner admissions policy, not a general criminal-justice graduate-school requirement.
Tuition Rates
$565 per semester hour, plus a $350 general fee per semester ($250 at five hours or fewer) and a $75 online course fee per semester hour.
How We Compared These Programs
Dozens of rankings get published every year for criminal justice programs, and no single one tells the whole story. The schools on this list place consistently well across multiple current national sources, including College Choice, US News & World Report, and ValueColleges.com. Where a program carries a current, dated ranking from a named publisher, like US News’ 2026 Best Online Programs, we’ve cited it directly. Rankings shift year to year, so treat any single number as a snapshot, not a permanent standing, and check the publisher’s current list before making a final decision.
Source rankings referenced for this list include College Choice, US News, and ValueColleges.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an online criminal justice master’s degree take?
Most programs on this list run 30 to 36 credit hours and take 12 to 24 months for full-time students, depending on the school’s term structure. Part-time students typically take two to three years. Accelerated formats, like Lamar’s 12-month track or Faulkner’s 14-month track, compress the timeline by running students through courses back-to-back rather than on a traditional semester schedule.
Do I need GRE scores to apply?
It depends on the school, and policies change between catalog years. Several programs on this list, including Arizona State, Colorado Denver, and New Mexico State, currently don’t require GRE or GMAT scores. Others waive it for applicants with significant professional experience. Check the admissions page for your target program directly before assuming either way.
What’s the difference between a research-focused and a management-focused criminal justice master’s?
Most programs on this list blend research training with administrative and leadership coursework rather than falling cleanly into one category or the other. A program like Florida State’s leans further toward research methodology and statistics, useful if you’re eyeing a doctorate or academic career. A program like Columbia College’s leans further toward management, budgeting, and supervisory skills for agency advancement. Read the curriculum and emphasis options for each program directly, since the split varies by school and by catalog year.
Can I specialize in cybersecurity or homeland security within a criminal justice master’s?
Yes. Several schools on this list offer a dedicated track: Pace’s M.S. in information technology has a cybersecurity concentration, the University of the Cumberlands offers cybersecurity and digital forensics tracks, and Colorado Denver, Nova Southeastern, and Saint Elizabeth all offer homeland security or emergency management concentrations. If cybersecurity is your goal, compare these tracks directly against a standalone M.S. in cybersecurity, since the curriculum overlap varies by school.
Key Takeaways
- Program length runs 30 to 36 credit hours for nearly every school on this list, with completion time depending on your enrollment pace and the school’s term structure.
- GRE requirements vary by school and change over time, so check the specific program’s current admissions page before assuming you need to test.
- Most programs blend research and management coursework rather than sorting neatly into one track, so read the curriculum before assuming a program fits your goal.
- Tuition varies widely, from a few hundred dollars per credit hour at public in-state programs to over $800 per credit hour at some private universities, so run the full cost of the credit hours required before comparing schools.
Once you’ve narrowed down a program, confirm its current accreditation status (these schools carry regional or national institutional accreditation, not a universal criminal-justice program accreditation) and pull its latest tuition and admission numbers directly from the school, since both change year to year. Compare at least two or three programs side by side before you apply.