Criminal Justice Schools in Mississippi

Updated September 17, 2026

State Agency: Mississippi Department of Corrections

Mississippi has 25 colleges and universities in federal education data offering a criminal justice program, including a Ph.D. at the University of Mississippi. Correctional officers earn a median $38,720 and patrol officers $46,140 as of May 2025 BLS data. Most local agencies require just a diploma and state certification, though a degree can help with federal or supervisory roles.

If you’re considering a criminal justice career in Mississippi, the state presents you with two separate questions to answer: what you need to get hired and what you need to get promoted. Most departments will hire you with a diploma, a clean record, and state certification. A degree is where the pay ceiling can move and where federal doors may open. Mississippi has also enacted multiple rounds of criminal justice reform addressing sentencing, community supervision, incarceration, and reentry, beginning with HB 585. MDOC publishes the state’s Corrections and Criminal Justice Oversight Task Force reports, and this Clarion Ledger opinion column covers the reentry angle in more depth. Here’s what the degree paths, the schools, and the pay actually look like.

What You’ll Study in a Mississippi Criminal Justice Program

A bachelor’s in criminal justice is built around a core sequence, not a pick-your-own-adventure schedule. Expect required coursework in the U.S. justice system, criminal law, and research methods, alongside general-education math, science, and English credits. Electives open up in your third and fourth year.

Typical required coursework includes:

The U.S. Criminal Justice System
A History of American Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice Ethics in the U.S.
Legal Research Concepts
Race Relations in the United States

Many bachelor’s programs include a supervised internship or field placement, often scheduled in your third or fourth year and matched to your intended specialty, whether that’s corrections, policing, or court administration. Some programs also offer online coursework for core and theory classes, which can be helpful if you’re working full-time or already employed at an agency. The University of Southern Mississippi, for example, offers its criminal justice master’s fully online, and the University of Mississippi offers an online Master of Criminal Justice.

Ready to compare specific programs? Use the tool below to pull up Mississippi schools by campus or online format.

Featured Programs:

Mississippi Criminal Justice Schools

Twenty-five Mississippi institutions appear in the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard snapshot (institution data May 2025, program data April 2025) as offering a criminal justice program at some credential level. That snapshot lists fourteen community colleges with an associate track and twelve four-year schools granting bachelor’s degrees, several of which also offer master’s degrees. Program offerings shift faster than federal reporting can capture: as of this writing, the University of Mississippi offers a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Policy Studies, while the University of Southern Mississippi’s current graduate listings show a master’s and a graduate certificate rather than a doctorate. Confirm current enrollment, format, and admission requirements directly with any school before applying.

City	Type	Credential Levels Offered
Alcorn State University	Alcorn State	Public	Bachelor’s
Belhaven University	Jackson	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s
Blue Mountain Christian University	Blue Mountain	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s
Coahoma Community College	Clarksdale	Public	Associate’s
Copiah-Lincoln Community College	Wesson	Public	Associate’s
Delta State University	Cleveland	Public	Bachelor’s, Master’s, Undergraduate Certificate
East Mississippi Community College	Scooba	Public	Associate’s, Undergraduate Certificate
Hinds Community College	Raymond	Public	Associate’s, Undergraduate Certificate
Holmes Community College	Goodman	Public	Associate’s, Undergraduate Certificate
Itawamba Community College	Fulton	Public	Associate’s, Undergraduate Certificate
Jackson State University	Jackson	Public	Bachelor’s, Master’s
Jones County Junior College	Ellisville	Public	Associate’s
Meridian Community College	Meridian	Public	Associate’s, Undergraduate Certificate
Mississippi College	Clinton	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s, Master’s, Graduate Certificate
Mississippi Delta Community College	Moorhead	Public	Associate’s
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College	Perkinston	Public	Associate’s, Undergraduate Certificate
Mississippi University for Women	Columbus	Public	Bachelor’s
Mississippi Valley State University	Itta Bena	Public	Bachelor’s, Master’s
Northeast Mississippi Community College	Booneville	Public	Associate’s
Northwest Mississippi Community College	Senatobia	Public	Associate’s, Undergraduate Certificate
Pearl River Community College	Poplarville	Public	Associate’s, Undergraduate Certificate
Strayer University-Mississippi	Jackson	Private for-profit	Associate’s, Bachelor’s
University of Mississippi	University	Public	Bachelor’s, Master’s
University of Southern Mississippi	Hattiesburg	Public	Bachelor’s, Master’s, Graduate Certificate
William Carey University	Hattiesburg	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s, Master’s

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.

Mississippi Criminal Justice Salaries and Job Growth

As of May 2025 BLS data, Mississippi’s protective-services pay sits below the national line across the board, but the picture isn’t the same for every role. There were 4,040 correctional officers and jailers working in Mississippi as of that same data pull, and that role is projected to decline 6.6% by 2034. Patrol work is the opposite story: Mississippi is projected to add 380 police and sheriff’s patrol officer jobs by 2034, a 4.4% gain.

Mississippi Median Wage	National Median Wage	Projected MS Job Growth (2024–34)
Correctional Officers and Jailers	$38,720	$58,940	-6.6%
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers	$46,140	$76,210	+4.4%
Detectives and Criminal Investigators	$58,640	$93,790	+1.9%
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$59,860	$106,040	+4.3%

Location inside the state matters too. In the Gulfport-Biloxi metro, patrol officers earn a median salary of $48,050 as of May 2025, according to BLS data, above the statewide figure.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a college degree to become a police officer in Mississippi?

No. A college degree generally is not required for Mississippi law enforcement certification. Covered officers must meet BLEOST (Board on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Training) minimum standards, including age 21, U.S. citizenship, and a high school diploma or GED, plus Board-approved training and certification. Individual agencies may add their own hiring requirements on top of the state minimum, and a degree becomes more relevant if you’re aiming for a supervisory role or a federal agency that requires one.

How many schools in Mississippi offer a criminal justice program?

Mississippi has 25 institutions in the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard snapshot, split between 14 community colleges offering an associate degree track and 12 four-year schools granting a bachelor’s degree, with several of those also offering a master’s degree.

What does a correctional officer make in Mississippi?

Mississippi correctional officers and jailers earned a median salary of $38,720 as of May 2025, according to BLS data, well below the national median of $58,940. Mississippi also projects a 6.6% decline in these positions by 2034.

Can I earn a criminal justice degree online in Mississippi?

Some programs, yes. The University of Southern Mississippi currently offers its criminal justice master’s fully online, and the University of Mississippi offers an online Master of Criminal Justice. Availability varies by school and by degree level, so confirm the format directly with the program you’re considering.

What’s the difference between an associate and bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in Mississippi?

An associate degree, offered at 14 Mississippi community colleges, according to federal education data, can get you into entry-level local hiring faster. A bachelor’s, offered at 12 four-year Mississippi schools, may be required or preferred for some federal positions and may strengthen eligibility for supervisory or promotional tracks.

Key Takeaways

25 institutions, with graduate study growing. Federal education data lists 25 Mississippi schools offering a criminal justice program at some level, and current university listings show the University of Mississippi now offering a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Policy Studies.
Corrections employment is projected to decline, patrol is projected to grow. Mississippi correctional officer positions are projected to decline 6.6% by 2034, while patrol officer positions are projected to grow 4.4% over the same period.
Mississippi wages trail the national line. Each of the four roles in the salary table pays below the national median, based on May 2025 BLS data.
A degree can be most helpful at the supervisory and federal levels. Local hiring in Mississippi rarely requires one, but a bachelor’s may be required or preferred for some federal positions and may strengthen eligibility for supervisory or promotional tracks.

Worried about paying for the degree? The scholarships guide lists awards built for criminal justice majors, with eligibility, amounts, and deadlines.

Read: Scholarships for Criminal Justice Majors and Grad Students

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