Criminal Justice Schools and Careers in Columbus, OH

Updated September 28, 2026

Columbus, OH pays police and detective supervisors a median $121,750 a year and security guards $35,800, per May 2025 BLS data. The Columbus Division of Police, the state’s largest local force, covers the city’s 20 precincts, and three Columbus schools offer a criminal justice program from certificate through master’s level.

The Columbus Division of Police is Ohio’s largest local police department, running community policing across the city’s 20 precincts. Ohio doesn’t leave certification to any one department—every sworn officer in the state has to complete training approved by the Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC), delivered through the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy (OPOTA) system, and pass the state’s peace officer certification exam. That’s separate from whatever hiring tests and interviews the Columbus Division of Police runs on its own. Several schools in the Columbus area teach related coursework, covered further down this page.

Featured Programs:

Criminal Justice Education in Columbus

Tuition is often the deciding factor between schools. Columbus State Community College charges Ohio residents $202.93 per credit hour for the 2026-27 academic year, per the college’s own published rate. That’s a useful baseline before comparing cost against the four-year schools listed below.

Coursework in a criminal justice program typically touches on subjects like these, though exact course names, structure, and lab components vary by school and should be confirmed with the specific program:

Crimes Against Children
Forensic Science
Courtroom Procedures
Law Enforcement

Joining a local professional group while you’re still in school helps more than most students realize. Depending on which career you’re pointed at, look at the Paralegal Association of Central Ohio, the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, or the Ohio Investigators Association.

Where to Study Criminal Justice in Columbus, OH

Three schools in the Columbus area offer a Criminal Justice program specifically, per U.S. Department of Education data: Columbus State Community College, Franklin University, and Ohio Dominican University. A fourth, Capital University, offers a graduate certificate in the separate field of Legal Support Services, not Criminal Justice. Federal reporting groups related protective-services and legal-support credentials under a broader classification, which is why Capital appears in the same dataset even though its program isn’t Criminal Justice itself. Confirm current enrollment, format, and admission requirements directly with each school. A federal listing reflects what a school reported to the Department of Education, not necessarily what’s actively enrolling students today.

Institution	Type	Credential Levels	Program Area(s)
Columbus State Community College	Public, 2-year	Associate’s degree, undergraduate certificate	Criminal Justice, Legal Support Services, Fire Protection, Homeland Security (certificate)
Franklin University	Private nonprofit, 4-year	Bachelor’s, Master’s, graduate certificate	Criminal Justice and related protective services
Ohio Dominican University	Private nonprofit, 4-year	Bachelor’s degree	Criminal Justice
Capital University	Private nonprofit, 4-year	Graduate certificate	Legal Support Services

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.

Columbus, OH Job Outlook and Salaries for Criminal Justice Careers

Here’s what May 2025 BLS data shows for the Columbus metro area, by occupation:

Occupation	Columbus Metro Median Wage	Ohio Job Outlook, 2024-34
Security Guard	$35,800	-2.5% (4,290 openings/year statewide)
Correctional Officer and Jailer	$58,040	-11.4% (980 openings/year statewide)
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer	$100,890	-0.4% (1,760 openings/year statewide)
Detective and Criminal Investigator	$79,000	-2.1% (140 openings/year statewide)
First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives	$121,750	-0.4% (340 openings/year statewide)

Ohio’s occupational growth projections for 2024-34 are flat or declining for every role in this table. Average annual openings for each occupation are listed above. The Columbus Division of Police’s own pay schedule is the place to check current starting pay and step increases before you apply, since a department’s internal scale isn’t tracked by the federal wage survey.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Security Guards, Correctional Officers and Jailers, Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers, Detectives and Criminal Investigators, and First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives. Long-term (2024-34) job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, ProjectionsCentral. Figures reflect Columbus-metro wage data and statewide Ohio job-growth projections, 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 Columbus?

No. Ohio doesn’t require a college degree to become a police officer. Agencies set their own minimum hiring requirements, which commonly include a high school diploma or GED, but every sworn officer in the state still has to complete OPOTC-approved training and pass Ohio’s peace officer certification exam, separate from whatever hiring process an individual department runs. Some agencies do require or prefer a degree, so check the specific department’s posted requirements.

How much do correctional officers make in the Columbus area?

Correctional officers and jailers in the Columbus metro area earn a median $58,040 a year, per May 2025 BLS data. Statewide, the role is projected to decline 11.4% through 2034, with an average of 980 annual openings projected for Ohio, per ProjectionsCentral.

What schools in Columbus offer criminal justice programs?

Three schools in Columbus offer a Criminal Justice program specifically, per U.S. Department of Education data: Columbus State Community College (associate and certificate), Franklin University (bachelor’s through master’s), and Ohio Dominican University (bachelor’s). A fourth, Capital University, offers a graduate certificate in the separate field of Legal Support Services. Confirm current offerings directly with each school.

Is criminal justice a growing field in Columbus?

Not by the growth-rate numbers alone. Every occupation on this page is projected flat or declining statewide through 2034, per ProjectionsCentral. Average annual openings still range from 140 (detectives) to 4,290 (security guards) across Ohio, which is the figure worth watching if you’re weighing your odds of getting hired.

Key Takeaways

Columbus PD is the largest local employer – 20 precincts under a community-policing model, with its own hiring process.
Ohio sets its own certification bar – every sworn officer needs OPOTC-approved training through the OPOTA system and a passing score on the state exam, regardless of which department hires them.
Three schools offer Criminal Justice programs – Columbus State Community College, Franklin University, and Ohio Dominican University, per federal education data. A fourth, Capital University, offers a related but separate Legal Support Services credential.
Pay varies widely by occupation – from a $35,800 median for security guards to $121,750 for police and detective supervisors in the Columbus metro, per May 2025 BLS data. These are separate occupations, not steps on one career ladder.
Confirm before you enroll – federal program data reflects an April 2025 snapshot, so call the school directly before applying.

Match the school in the table above to the specific career you’re aiming for, whether that’s patrol, corrections, or something in between, and confirm enrollment details with the school directly before you sign up.

Looking beyond this city? Read the full guide to Criminal Justice Schools in Ohio.