Criminal Justice Degree Programs in North Dakota

Updated September 17, 2026

North Dakota’s ten criminal justice schools offer everything from a one-year certificate to a master’s degree, at schools like North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota. A patrol officer here earns a median $74,500 a year, and a detective $82,290, per May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. Correctional and probation officers start with less schooling.

Every criminal justice career, from patrol officer to parole officer, starts with a decision about how much schooling to get first and how much to pick up on the job. North Dakota gives you options at every level, and the pay and hiring outlook vary a lot by which career you pick. Here’s what the data says about programs, pay, and where to study in the state.

State Agency: North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

What Does a Criminal Justice Career Look Like in North Dakota?

North Dakota’s criminal justice agencies range from a handful of officers in a small-town sheriff’s department to statewide operations run out of Bismarck. Correctional officers, security guards, and patrol officers are some of the most common criminal justice roles in the state, and North Dakota agencies continue to report openings across several of these occupations. The department listed above oversees the state’s prisons, parole and probation supervision, and juvenile justice programs, and it’s a common entry point if you’re starting in corrections.

How Do Criminal Justice Degree Programs in North Dakota Work?

Most programs sort into four levels: certificate, associate, bachelor’s, and master’s for people planning to move into research, teaching, or upper management. What you study depends on where you want to end up. General criminal justice coursework prepares you for patrol work, corrections, or a probation caseload, while a homeland security or security-science track points toward emergency management or private-sector security roles.

Featured Programs:

Where Can You Study Criminal Justice in North Dakota?

Ten North Dakota institutions offer a program in the criminal-justice-family CIP codes, per U.S. Department of Education data, spanning a one-year certificate to a master’s. Every program below is based at a North Dakota campus, though several, including Rasmussen University-North Dakota, United Tribes Technical College, and the University of North Dakota, also offer online or hybrid options.

City	Control	Highest Credential Offered
North Dakota State University	Fargo	Public	Doctoral (Criminal Justice, Homeland Security)
University of North Dakota	Grand Forks	Public	Master’s
Minot State University	Minot	Public	Master’s
Rasmussen University-North Dakota	Fargo	Private for-profit	Bachelor’s
United Tribes Technical College	Bismarck	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s
University of Jamestown	Jamestown	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s
University of Mary	Bismarck	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s
Sitting Bull College	Fort Yates	Public	Bachelor’s
Bismarck State College	Bismarck	Public	Associate
Lake Region State College	Devils Lake	Public	Associate

One example worth flagging: Lake Region State College’s Peace Officer Training Certificate is built specifically around North Dakota’s own certification standards, and the college notes it may not satisfy requirements in other states, worth knowing if you might relocate for work after graduating.

School and program data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, institution file May 2025 and field-of-study file April 2025, covering criminal justice, legal support, homeland security, and security-science-and-technology programs. A degree alone doesn’t grant you a state license. Confirm current enrollment, format, and any licensing implications directly with each school and with the North Dakota Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board before applying. A program can change between when a school reports it and when you enroll. Data accessed September 2026.

What Do Criminal Justice Careers Pay in North Dakota?

Pay varies a lot by role and by how much schooling and certification the job demands. Here’s what five of the state’s most common criminal justice careers earned as of May 2025, along with how the U.S. Department of Labor expects each to grow through 2034.

Career	Median Annual Wage	Projected Job Growth (2024-34)	Avg. Annual Openings
	Detective	$82,290	Flat (0%)	30
	Police/Sheriff’s Patrol Officer	$74,500	+6.1%	160
	Probation Officer	$65,140	-2.4%	20
Paralegal	$59,430	+0.8%	70
	Correctional Officer	$52,460	-6.4%	90

Patrol officer is the biggest hiring category on this list, with 160 average annual openings and 6.1% growth, per ProjectionsCentral’s North Dakota 2024-34 projections, which tracks with departments statewide competing for the same pool of academy graduates. Correctional officer pay is the lowest of the five, and it’s also the only role on this list projected to shrink. If you’re weighing corrections against patrol work, that gap in both pay and growth is worth factoring in before you pick a track.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics median annual wage figures for Police and Detectives, Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists, Paralegals and Legal Assistants, and Correctional Officers and Bailiffs. Long-term (2024-34) job growth projections for North Dakota 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

What can you do with a criminal justice degree in North Dakota?

A criminal justice degree can lead to work in policing, corrections, courts, or private security, and the level you choose shapes which doors open. An associate degree covers entry-level patrol and corrections work, while a bachelor’s or master’s opens up detective, supervisory, and federal-agency roles.

Do you need a college degree to become a police officer in North Dakota?

Most North Dakota departments hire patrol officers with a high school diploma, not a degree, but every officer still has to complete Basic Training and pass the North Dakota Peace Officer Licensing Examination through the North Dakota Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Board. A degree still helps. It can raise your starting pay at some agencies and gives you a real advantage when you compete for detective or supervisory openings later. Licensing is state-specific, so what qualifies you in North Dakota won’t automatically transfer if you move.

How much do criminal justice careers pay in North Dakota?

Pay ranges widely by role. As of May 2025, North Dakota detectives earn a median $82,290 a year and patrol officers $74,500, while correctional officers earn less at $52,460, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

How many schools in North Dakota offer criminal justice programs?

Ten North Dakota institutions offer a program in the criminal-justice-family CIP codes, per federal education data, ranging from one-year certificates at community colleges to a doctorate at North Dakota State University.

Key Takeaways

Ten schools cover every level – North Dakota has criminal justice programs from a one-year certificate through a doctorate, with no distance-only options in the count, though several schools also offer online or hybrid formats.
You usually don’t need a degree to start – Most patrol and corrections jobs hire off a high school diploma plus POST Board licensing, a degree pays off later in rank and pay.
Patrol officer is the growth job on this list – 160 average annual openings and 6.1% projected growth outpace every other career in this data.
Corrections pay and growth both lag – Correctional officer is the lowest-paid role here and the only one projected to shrink through 2034.

Not sure how you’ll pay for any of this? Our scholarships page lists awards built for criminal justice students, with eligibility and deadlines, before you start looking at loans.