Criminal Justice Degrees in Tennessee: Schools, Hiring and Pay

Updated October 6, 2026

Per U.S. Department of Education data, 41 Tennessee colleges and universities offer a criminal justice or related program, from community college associate degrees to master’s degrees at state universities. Most police jobs require only a high school diploma and POST academy certification, but a degree can widen your options. Tennessee patrol officers earned a median $59,280 in May 2025 (BLS).

Most people who end up in a Tennessee patrol car, cellblock or courtroom didn’t start with a four-year degree, and the state doesn’t require one to wear a badge. What the degree changes is how many doors stay open: some Tennessee departments ask for college credit up front, some agencies consider education for promotion, and some federal positions have education requirements a bachelor’s can help meet. Here’s how the education side works in Tennessee, where you can study, and what the jobs pay once you’re hired.

If corrections or community supervision is your way in, start with the Tennessee Department of Correction, which runs the state’s prisons and its probation and parole system.

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How Do You Earn a Criminal Justice Degree in Tennessee?

You can enter at three levels, and the cheapest route usually runs through a community college. Federal education data shows how many Tennessee institutions offer a criminal justice program at each level:

Degree Level	Tennessee Institutions Offering It	What It Opens Up
Associate in Criminal Justice	21	Meets the college-credit line at departments that ask for it, and transfers into a bachelor’s
Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice	24	Can meet or help satisfy education requirements for some federal special-agent positions (requirements vary by agency and position), and may be considered for promotion by some agencies
Master’s in Criminal Justice	9	May support eligibility for some college teaching, research, policy and leadership roles. Requirements vary by employer and institution

Counts are institutions offering a Criminal Justice and Corrections program (CIP 43.01) at that credential level, per the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Start at a Community College, Then Transfer

Every one of Tennessee’s 12 public community colleges in the federal data offers an associate in criminal justice. Tennessee Promise, the state’s last-dollar scholarship, can cover community college tuition and fees for recent high school graduates who meet its requirements, including mentoring and community service hours.

The Tennessee Transfer Pathways are what make that route work. Each pathway is a set sequence of associate-degree courses that Tennessee public universities, and many private ones, agree to accept toward a bachelor’s in the same major, so you start your junior year without retaking classes. Pick the criminal justice pathway in your first semester, not your last, because courses taken outside it may not count.

Paying for the Degree

Beyond Tennessee Promise, the state runs need-based and merit-based aid you should apply for before you borrow. The Tennessee Student Assistance Award is need-based and goes to students who file the FAFSA early, since funds run out. The Ned McWherter Scholars Program targets high school students with top grades and test scores. The Tennessee HOPE Access Grant has covered students who narrowly miss the HOPE Scholarship’s academic requirements.

Where Can You Study Criminal Justice in Tennessee?

Per U.S. Department of Education data, 41 Tennessee institutions offer a program in the criminal justice family at some credential level, and none of them is a distance-only school. That family covers criminal justice and corrections, legal support services, homeland security, security science, fire protection, and related protective-services fields. Before you apply, confirm the program is still enrolling, and check its format and admission requirements with the school directly. Federal data reports what a school told the Department of Education, not what’s in this fall’s catalog.

The 22 public institutions are below.

Institution	City	Type	Programs (Credential Levels)
Austin Peay State University	Clarksville	Public, 4-year	Criminal Justice (bachelor’s)
East Tennessee State University	Johnson City	Public, 4-year	Criminal Justice (bachelor’s, master’s, graduate certificate) Security Science and Technology (graduate certificate)
Middle Tennessee State University	Murfreesboro	Public, 4-year	Criminal Justice (bachelor’s, master’s) Security Science and Technology (bachelor’s)
Tennessee State University	Nashville	Public, 4-year	Criminal Justice (bachelor’s, master’s)
Tennessee Technological University	Cookeville	Public, 4-year	Homeland Security (graduate certificate)
The University of Tennessee Southern	Pulaski	Public, 4-year	Criminal Justice (bachelor’s)
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga	Chattanooga	Public, 4-year	Criminal Justice (bachelor’s, master’s) Legal Support Services (bachelor’s)
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	Knoxville	Public, 4-year	Fire Protection (graduate certificate) Other Protective Services (graduate certificate)
The University of Tennessee-Martin	Martin	Public, 4-year	Criminal Justice (bachelor’s)
University of Memphis	Memphis	Public, 4-year	Criminal Justice (bachelor’s, master’s)
Chattanooga State Community College	Chattanooga	Public, 2-year	Criminal Justice (associate) Legal Support Services (associate, certificate) Fire Protection (associate)
Cleveland State Community College	Cleveland	Public, 2-year	Criminal Justice (associate, certificate)
Columbia State Community College	Columbia	Public, 2-year	Criminal Justice (associate)
Dyersburg State Community College	Dyersburg	Public, 2-year	Criminal Justice (associate, certificate)
Motlow State Community College	Tullahoma	Public, 2-year	Criminal Justice (associate)
Nashville State Community College	Nashville	Public, 2-year	Criminal Justice (associate, certificate) Legal Support Services (associate)
Northeast State Community College	Blountville	Public, 2-year	Criminal Justice (associate)
Pellissippi State Community College	Knoxville	Public, 2-year	Criminal Justice (associate) Legal Support Services (associate)
Roane State Community College	Harriman	Public, 2-year	Criminal Justice (associate) Legal Support Services (associate) Other Protective Services (certificate)
Southwest Tennessee Community College	Memphis	Public, 2-year	Criminal Justice (associate) Legal Support Services (associate)
Volunteer State Community College	Gallatin	Public, 2-year	Criminal Justice (associate, certificate) Legal Support Services (associate, certificate) Fire Protection (associate, certificate)
Walters State Community College	Morristown	Public, 2-year	Criminal Justice (associate, certificate) Fire Protection (associate)

The other 19 are private: 15 nonprofit and 4 for-profit. All 13 of the four-year nonprofits offer a bachelor’s in criminal justice. Four private schools report a master’s in criminal justice: Bethel University in McKenzie, Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate and South College in Knoxville. The four for-profit schools, in Chattanooga, Knoxville and Memphis, all offer a criminal justice associate.

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 October 2026.

What Does It Take to Get Hired After the Degree?

The degree gets you considered. It doesn’t get you sworn in. Every Tennessee police officer has to meet minimum standards set by the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission. You must be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, and have your fingerprints on file with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. You must be a U.S. citizen, or a permanent legal resident who is an honorably discharged U.S. armed-forces veteran. Your hiring agency then runs its own background investigation, and a felony conviction ends the process.

After you’re hired, you generally must enroll in the POST-required Basic Law Enforcement Course within six months of initial employment and successfully complete the required training to become certified. Certification isn’t permanent either. POST requires 40 hours of in-service training every year to keep it. LawEnforcementEDU.net covers police academy training and hiring in more depth.

Departments can set the bar higher than POST does. The Memphis Police Department, for example, asks for 60 college credit hours, or two years of full-time law enforcement or military experience instead. That’s where a community college associate degree pays for itself before you’ve worked a single shift.

Tennessee Criminal Justice Salaries and Job Outlook

As of May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, the median for all 76,930 protective service jobs in Tennessee was $46,610. That figure includes security guards and lifeguards, though. The table below breaks out the jobs a criminal justice degree actually points toward, with long-term growth from ProjectionsCentral’s 2024–34 state projections.

Occupation	Tennessee Median Salary (May 2025)	Projected Growth (2024–34)	Average Annual Openings
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers	$59,280	9.7%	1,020
Correctional Officers and Jailers	$50,940	9.4%	830
Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists	$58,010	8.1%	240
Detectives and Criminal Investigators	$77,090	4.9%	120
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$74,770	9.8%	370
Paralegals and Legal Assistants	$58,820	4.4%	600

Patrol and corrections are where the openings are: more than 1,800 a year between them, mostly to replace people who leave. Detective and supervisor medians run roughly $15,000 to $18,000 higher than patrol. Those positions generally require prior law-enforcement experience, with promotion requirements varying by agency.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for police and sheriff’s patrol officers, detectives and criminal investigators, and first-line supervisors of police and detectives, correctional officers and jailers, probation officers and correctional treatment specialists, and paralegals and legal assistants. 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 October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a degree to be a police officer in Tennessee?

No. Tennessee POST’s minimum is a high school diploma or equivalent. Some departments ask for more, though. Memphis requires 60 college credit hours or equivalent experience. A bachelor’s can meet or help satisfy education requirements for some federal special-agent positions, though requirements vary by agency and position.

How many colleges in Tennessee offer criminal justice degrees?

Per U.S. Department of Education data, 41 Tennessee institutions offer a criminal justice or related protective-services program. Counting criminal justice degrees alone, 21 offer an associate, 24 a bachelor’s and 9 a master’s. Check enrollment status with each school before you apply.

Can you start at a community college and transfer to a university?

Yes. Tennessee Transfer Pathways let you complete a set sequence of associate-degree courses that Tennessee public universities accept toward a bachelor’s in the same major. Choose the pathway early, because courses outside it may not transfer.

How much do criminal justice jobs pay in Tennessee?

Per May 2025 BLS data, Tennessee patrol officers earned a median $59,280, correctional officers $50,940 and detectives $77,090. Pay varies by agency and region, and supervisors earned a median $74,770.

Key Takeaways

A degree isn’t required to start: Tennessee POST sets a high school diploma as the minimum, but departments like Memphis ask for college credit, and some agencies consider college education for promotion or advancement.
Community college is the cheap on-ramp: All 12 public community colleges in the federal data offer a criminal justice associate, and Transfer Pathways carry those credits into a public university.
41 schools in the federal data: Twenty-two are public. Confirm any program is still enrolling before you apply.
Patrol and corrections hire the most: More than 1,800 openings a year between them through 2034, per ProjectionsCentral.

Worried about paying for the degree? Our scholarship guide for criminal justice majors lists awards open to criminal justice majors, with eligibility, amounts and deadlines.