Criminal Justice Schools in Hawaii: Degrees & Salaries

Q: Does Hawaii have a state police force?

Historically, no. Hawaii is often cited as the one state that never built a traditional statewide patrol agency. That changed in part on January 1, 2024, when the state created the Department of Law Enforcement (DLE), consolidating the old Sheriff Division, Narcotics Enforcement Division, and other state agencies' law-enforcement functions into one department. County police departments still handle most day-to-day policing across the islands, working alongside DLE rather than under it.

Updated September 16, 2026

Hawaii has ten schools offering criminal justice programs, from associate degrees at community colleges to a master’s at Chaminade University, per federal education data, and no Hawaii institution in this dataset offers a doctoral CJ-family program. Median pay ranges from $62,840 for paralegals to $113,940 for detectives, per May 2025 BLS wage data for Hawaii.

Hawaii’s law enforcement structure changed in a real way on January 1, 2024, when the state created the Department of Law Enforcement (DLE) to take over the state-level functions that used to sit inside the old Department of Public Safety, folding in the Sheriff Division, the Narcotics Enforcement Division, and pieces of the Attorney General’s and Transportation Department’s investigative work. County police departments still handle the bulk of day-to-day policing across the islands, but the DLE is a genuine state-level agency now, working alongside them. On top of that, Hawaii is in the middle of rolling out statewide officer certification standards through the Law Enforcement Standards Board (LESB), so the training and credentialing landscape here is actively shifting. Here’s what the degree landscape looks like, what these jobs pay, and where you can study without leaving the state.

Hawaii’s Criminal Justice Landscape

The Criminal Justice Data Center is the state office you’ll see referenced most in Hawaii criminal-justice research, but its job is records, not oversight. It runs the state’s criminal-history records, fingerprint files, and offender registries. The agency responsible for setting hiring standards and certifying officers is the Law Enforcement Standards Board (LESB), which is implementing new statewide certification standards for county and state law-enforcement officers under HRS Chapter 139.

Hawaii’s crime rate runs higher than the national average. A criminal justice degree opens doors across the state regardless: patrol and investigation with county departments or the DLE, corrections, court administration, and private-sector security tied to the visitor industry are all common paths for graduates.

Featured Programs:

Criminal Justice Education in Hawaii

You won’t find every specialty here. Hawaii’s programs cluster around general criminal justice, legal support, and homeland security, with smaller footprints in fire protection and security science. If you want a bachelor’s or associate degree, you have real in-state options. No Hawaii school in this dataset offers a doctorate, so that means an online program or one based outside the state.

A typical four-year program mixes a core criminal justice curriculum with electives and general-education requirements in math, English, and science. Courses you’ll likely take:

The U.S. Criminal Justice System: An Introduction
Introduction to Criminal Law
The Courts and the U.S. Legal System
The History of Criminal Justice in America
Research Methodologies in Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice Ethics
Research and Writing in the Law
Race Relations in America

Some programs may offer fieldwork or an internship placed in your chosen specialty, though this varies school to school, so confirm with each program directly rather than assuming a standard timeline. A lot of coursework can now be completed online, even at schools that aren’t distance-only.

If cost is the thing holding you back, start with the scholarships built for criminal justice majors before you look at loans.

Where to Study Criminal Justice in Hawaii

Ten institutions in Hawaii offer a criminal-justice-family program at some credential level, per federal education data, and none of them are distance-only.

School	City	Type	Programs Offered
Chaminade University of Honolulu	Honolulu	Private nonprofit, 4-year	Criminal Justice (Associate, Bachelor’s, Master’s); Security Science and Technology (Bachelor’s, Master’s)
University of Hawaii at Manoa	Honolulu	Public, 4-year	Homeland Security (graduate certificate)
University of Hawaii at Hilo	Hilo	Public, 4-year	Criminal Justice (Bachelor’s)
University of Hawaii–West Oahu	Kapolei	Public, 4-year	Criminal Justice (certificate); Homeland Security (certificate); Security Science and Technology (certificate)
University of Hawaii Maui College	Kahului	Public, 4-year	Criminal Justice (Associate, certificate)
Hawaii Pacific University	Honolulu	Private nonprofit, 4-year	Criminal Justice (Associate, Bachelor’s); Legal Support Services (Associate); Homeland Security (Associate, Master’s)
University of Phoenix–Hawaii	Kapolei	Private for-profit, 4-year	Criminal Justice (Bachelor’s, certificate); Homeland Security (Bachelor’s)
Hawaii Community College	Hilo	Public, 2-year	Criminal Justice (Associate); Fire Protection (Associate, certificate)
Honolulu Community College	Honolulu	Public, 2-year	Criminal Justice (Associate); Fire Protection (Associate, certificate)
Kapiolani Community College	Honolulu	Public, 2-year	Legal Support Services (Associate, certificate)

Chaminade is the only school in the state offering a master’s degree in criminal justice itself, and it’s the closest thing to an advanced-degree option Hawaii has. Hawaii’s community colleges carry most of the state’s associate degrees and certificates, across criminal justice, legal support, and fire protection. That’s a reasonable starting point if a four-year commitment isn’t where you want to begin, though confirm with any specific agency or program what credential level it actually requires before assuming.

This is per U.S. Department of Education data, not a school’s own current catalog. Program names and formats change between data collection and the day you apply, so confirm current enrollment, credential level, and admission requirements directly with any school before you commit.

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 September 2026.

Salaries and Job Outlook for Criminal Justice Careers in Hawaii

Here’s the median pay in Hawaii for five common criminal justice careers, per May 2025 BLS state wage data, along with where hiring is headed through 2034.

Career	Median Salary (May 2025)	Job Growth (2024-34)
Detective	$113,940	+0.2%
Police Officer	$83,820	+4.3%
Probation Officer	$73,830	+6.8%
Correctional Officer	$69,570	-4%
Paralegal	$62,840	-2.4%

A few of these numbers are worth sitting with. Detectives post the highest median on this list, at $113,940. Probation officer roles show the fastest projected growth at +6.8% through 2034, though the statewide workforce is only 40 people right now, so that percentage translates to a small number of actual positions. Correctional officer employment is projected to decline 4% through 2034. That’s a projected drop in total employment, not necessarily fewer job openings, since retirements and turnover still generate hiring even in a shrinking occupation.

Other paths worth knowing about: juvenile justice and forensics both draw on the same degree, and the visitor industry supports private-sector security roles at resorts and commercial properties across the state.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Detectives and Criminal Investigators, Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers, Probation Officers, Correctional Officers, and Paralegals. 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 September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Hawaii have a state police force?

Historically, no — Hawaii is often cited as the one state that never built a traditional statewide patrol agency. That changed in part on January 1, 2024, when the state created the Department of Law Enforcement (DLE), consolidating the old Sheriff Division, Narcotics Enforcement Division, and other state agencies’ law-enforcement functions into one department. County police departments still handle most day-to-day policing across the islands, working alongside DLE rather than under it.

How many schools in Hawaii offer criminal justice programs?

Ten institutions, per U.S. Department of Education data, ranging from community college associate degrees to a master’s program at Chaminade University. None are distance-only providers based in the state.

Can I earn a criminal justice doctorate in Hawaii?

Not currently. Federal education data shows no Hawaii institution offering a doctoral criminal justice program in this dataset, so a PhD or DCJ means an online program or a school based outside the state.

What’s the median salary for police officers in Hawaii?

$83,820 as of May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Detectives earn more, at a median of $113,940.

Is Hawaii introducing new law enforcement certification standards?

Yes. The Law Enforcement Standards Board (LESB), established under HRS Chapter 139, is implementing statewide certification and training standards for county and state law-enforcement officers. The compliance deadline has been extended multiple times since 2018. Most recently, 2026 legislation pushed it again, to June 30, 2028. Confirm current requirements directly with LESB or a target agency before you apply, since this is still changing.

Key Takeaways

Law enforcement structure changed in 2024 – the Department of Law Enforcement (DLE) now handles state-level functions once housed in the old Department of Public Safety, working alongside county police departments.
Ten schools, no doctorate in this dataset – federal data shows ten in-state institutions with CJ-family programs, topping out at Chaminade’s master’s.
Detectives post the highest median pay on this list – $113,940 (BLS, May 2025) among the five careers covered here.
Correctional officer employment is projected to decline – -4% through 2034 (ProjectionsCentral), the only decline among these five careers. That doesn’t rule out openings from retirements and turnover.
Statewide certification standards are being phased in – LESB’s compliance deadline has been extended multiple times, most recently to June 30, 2028 as of 2026 legislation. Confirm current requirements with LESB or your target agency.

Looking for a Criminal Justice Certificate Program in Another State?

Hiring requirements vary by agency in Hawaii, and statewide certification standards are still being phased in. The police officer guide walks through the pieces most departments do share: background investigation, physical testing, and academy training, so you know what to expect before you apply anywhere.