Criminal Justice Schools in Arkansas

Updated September 17, 2026

Arkansas runs about 30 schools offering criminal justice degrees, from a certificate through a PhD, into a job market with real openings: Little Rock has a persistent police-officer shortage. As of May 2025 BLS data, patrol officers earn a median $47,670 here, with the job projected to grow 7.6% by 2034 — faster than corrections, which is shrinking.

State Agency: Arkansas Crime Information Center

You’re weighing whether to study criminal justice in a state that badly needs the people who do it. Little Rock has wrestled with officer shortages for years, and a national ranking based on 2019 FBI data (compiled in 2020) once placed the city tied for the sixth most dangerous in the country — a snapshot of the pressure the job operates under, not a current rating. Nearly 30 Arkansas schools teach the coursework these jobs require, from a one-year certificate to a doctorate.

Choosing a Criminal Justice Degree in Arkansas

Most students start at the associate or bachelor’s level. A two-year associate degree gets you in the door at most local departments and corrections facilities. A four-year bachelor’s opens up probation, parole, and criminal investigation work, and several state and federal jobs either require it or weight hiring toward candidates who have it.

Featured Programs:

What You’ll Study

Course titles vary by school, but Arkansas criminal justice programs commonly include:

Criminal Justice History in the U.S.
Criminal Law: An Introduction
The Criminal Justice System in America
The Judiciary in the American Legal System
Introduction to Criminal Justice Ethics
Research and Writing for Legal Purposes
Conducting Criminal Justice Research
The History of Race Relations

Field Work Comes Before You Graduate

Field-placement timing varies by school, but many Arkansas programs build in a semester of field work by the third year, then an off-campus internship in your final year, in the specialty you’ve picked. Programs place you with agencies, courts, or corrections facilities — this is where you find out if the job matches what you imagined.

Where to Study: Arkansas Schools with Criminal Justice Programs

As of September 2026, per U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data, 37 Arkansas institutions offer a criminal justice, homeland security, or legal-support program — from a certificate through the state’s only Criminal Justice PhD, at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

School	City	Credential Levels Offered
Arkansas Baptist College	Little Rock	Bachelor’s
Arkansas Northeastern College	Blytheville	Certificate, Associate’s
Arkansas State University	Jonesboro	Certificate, Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, Grad Certificate
Arkansas State University Three Rivers	Malvern	Certificate, Associate’s
Arkansas State University-Beebe	Beebe	Certificate, Associate’s
Arkansas State University-Mountain Home	Mountain Home	Certificate, Associate’s
Arkansas State University-Newport	Newport	Certificate, Associate’s
Arkansas Tech University	Russellville	Certificate, Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s
Black River Technical College	Pocahontas	Certificate, Associate’s
Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas	De Queen	Certificate, Associate’s
East Arkansas Community College	Forrest City	Certificate, Associate’s
Harding University	Searcy	Bachelor’s
Henderson State University	Arkadelphia	Certificate, Bachelor’s
National Park College	Hot Springs	Certificate, Associate’s [+Paralegal]
North Arkansas College	Harrison	Associate’s
NorthWest Arkansas Community College	Bentonville	Certificate, Associate’s [+Paralegal]
Ozarka College	Melbourne	Certificate, Associate’s
Philander Smith University	Little Rock	Bachelor’s
Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas	Helena	Certificate, Associate’s
Shorter College	North Little Rock	Associate’s
South Arkansas College	El Dorado	Certificate, Associate’s
Southeast Arkansas College	Pine Bluff	Certificate, Associate’s [+Paralegal]
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus	Magnolia	Certificate, Bachelor’s
Southern Arkansas University Tech	Camden	Certificate, Associate’s
Strayer University-Arkansas	Little Rock	Associate’s, Bachelor’s
University of Arkansas	Fayetteville	Bachelor’s
University of Arkansas Community College-Batesville	Batesville	Certificate, Associate’s
University of Arkansas Community College-Morrilton	Morrilton	Certificate, Associate’s
University of Arkansas Grantham	Little Rock	Associate’s, Bachelor’s
University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana	Hope	Certificate, Associate’s
University of Arkansas at Little Rock	Little Rock	Certificate, Associate’s, Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctorate
University of Arkansas at Monticello	Monticello	Certificate, Associate’s, Bachelor’s
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff	Pine Bluff	Certificate, Associate’s, Bachelor’s
University of Arkansas-Fort Smith	Fort Smith	Certificate, Associate’s, Bachelor’s [+Paralegal]
University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College	North Little Rock	Paralegal only: Certificate, Associate’s
University of Central Arkansas	Conway	Certificate, Associate’s
Williams Baptist University	Walnut Ridge	Bachelor’s

[+Paralegal] marks schools that also offer a separate Legal Support Services / paralegal program. This list reflects each school’s official location and current program filings — not marketing reach, so a national online school that targets Arkansas residents but isn’t chartered here won’t appear. Whether a specific program is offered online isn’t captured at the program level in this data, so confirm delivery format directly with any school you’re considering.

What Arkansas Criminal Justice Careers Pay

As of the May 2025 BLS wage data, here’s what five common Arkansas criminal justice roles pay, and where the job count is headed by 2034:

Occupation	Arkansas Median Annual Wage	Projected Growth (2024–2034)
Detective	$54,500	+5.0%
Probation Officer	$51,180	+1.6%
Police Officer	$47,670	+7.6%
Paralegal	$47,420	+2.6%
Correctional Officer	$40,330	-5.3%

Detective work pays best on this list, but it’s also the narrowest door — Arkansas projects only 40 average annual openings statewide, against 480 for patrol officers. Corrections is the one role heading the other direction: the state projects a 5.3% drop in correctional officer jobs by 2034, even as patrol, detective, and probation work all grow.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists, Correctional Officers and Jailers, Paralegals and Legal Assistants, Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers, and Detectives and Criminal Investigators. Long-term (2024-34) job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, ProjectionsCentral. Figures reflect city, state, and national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2026.

The Job Market: Why Arkansas Needs More Officers

The Little Rock Police Department starts recruits at a base salary and raises it on a schedule tied to years of service — one response to a shortage that isn’t unique to the capital. North Little Rock and Fayetteville post openings regularly too. Outside law enforcement, private security and investigations firms hire in the same labor pool, and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission employs certified game wardens who handle a different kind of fieldwork entirely: wildlife and boating law enforcement statewide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools in Arkansas offer criminal justice degrees?

Close to 30, spanning two-year associate programs through bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD tracks. Some schools also offer Homeland Security coursework alongside the standard degree.

Do I need a bachelor’s degree to become a police officer in Arkansas?

No. Most Arkansas departments hire with a high school diploma and their own academy training. A bachelor’s helps with pay and promotion at some agencies and is required for federal roles like the FBI, but it’s not the entry requirement for patrol work.

Which of these criminal justice careers pays the most in Arkansas?

Detective, at a median $54,500 as of May 2025 BLS data — but it’s also the smallest job pool on this list, with only 40 average annual openings statewide.

Is the corrections job market shrinking in Arkansas?

Yes. Arkansas projects a 5.3% decline in correctional officer positions between 2024 and 2034, the only role among these five moving in that direction.

Key Takeaways

Nearly 30 schools statewide cover every degree level, from a one-year certificate to a PhD
Patrol officer jobs are growing fastest among these five roles (+7.6% by 2034), while corrections is the outlier, shrinking 5.3%
Detective pays best ($54,500 median) but has the fewest openings — 40 a year statewide, versus 480 for patrol
A bachelor’s isn’t required to start in most Arkansas departments, though it helps at hiring and promotion time
Little Rock’s officer shortage isn’t new — local reporting has documented it for years — and Arkansas departments are actively recruiting right now

If cost is what’s holding you back, the scholarships resource page lists awards built for criminal justice students, with eligibility and deadlines. Read that before you rule out the four-year track.

Looking at Other States?

Use the finder below to compare criminal justice programs and requirements across the country.