Criminal Justice Programs in Nashville, TN

Updated September 28, 2026

Six institutions in the Nashville metro area, per U.S. Department of Education data, offer a criminal-justice-family program, from a certificate at Nashville State Community College to a master’s at Tennessee State University or Middle Tennessee State University in nearby Murfreesboro. As of May 2025 BLS data, Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers in the Nashville metro earn a median of $68,780 a year, one of several career paths here that also include corrections, private security, and detective work. Here’s where to study and what the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports for pay.

Metro Nashville Police patrols seven precincts across a fast-growing city, and criminal justice careers in the area run well beyond patrol. Corrections, private security, and detective work all draw from the same metro workforce, and a criminal justice program isn’t a required first step for any of them. For readers who want one anyway, six schools in the immediate area offer degrees and certificates. If you’re aiming specifically at a badge, Nashville’s own hiring page lays out Metro Nashville Police’s application steps.

Featured Programs:

Where to Study Criminal Justice Near Nashville

Six institutions in the Nashville metro area offer a program in the criminal-justice family, per U.S. Department of Education data. Confirm current enrollment, format, length, and admission requirements directly with each school before applying.

Institution	City	Control / Type	Programs Offered
Nashville State Community College	Nashville	Public, 2-year	Associate and certificate in Criminal Justice, Associate in Legal Support Services
Remington College-Nashville Campus	Nashville	Private nonprofit, 2-year	Associate in Criminal Justice
Trevecca Nazarene University	Nashville	Private nonprofit, 4-year	Associate and Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice
Lipscomb University	Nashville	Private nonprofit, 4-year	Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice
Tennessee State University	Nashville	Public, 4-year	Bachelor’s and Master’s in Criminal Justice
Middle Tennessee State University	Murfreesboro	Public, 4-year	Bachelor’s and Master’s in Criminal Justice, Bachelor’s in Security Science and Technology

Murfreesboro sits about 35 miles southeast of downtown Nashville, inside the same metro area, which is why MTSU makes this list. None of the six carries a distance-only flag in this dataset. Tuition varies by school and program type. Nashville State Community College’s tuition page and each other school’s own site are the places to check current, per-credit rates before you enroll.

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.

Criminal Justice Schools in Other Major Tennessee Cities

Memphis

Getting to Class Without a Car

If you’re studying downtown, the Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority runs daily, weekly, and monthly passes, which is often cheaper than parking near campus if you’ve also got an internship or a part-time job to juggle.

What a Criminal Justice Program in Nashville Actually Covers

Coursework across these programs typically runs through ethics, law, criminology, and policing procedures, though the exact mix depends on the school and degree level. Some programs also include lab-based components, such as a technology lab or a forensics lab for evidence-processing practice, but not every program offers these. Check a specific school’s current curriculum before enrolling. A bachelor’s program often allows you to specialize in a track such as corrections or law enforcement administration. Confirm what’s currently offered with the school.

Tennessee’s professional associations are worth knowing about before you graduate. The Tennessee Association of Licensed Professional Investigators and the Tennessee Paralegal Association serve working professionals and students in their respective fields, and the Nashville Fraternal Order of Police represents sworn officers in the department.

What It Takes to Get Hired in Nashville

Tennessee’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission sets the statewide minimum requirements for certifying full-time, sworn law enforcement officers: at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, a high school diploma or equivalent with no waivers on that requirement, and completion of a POST-approved Basic Law Enforcement Training Academy. Individual departments can require more than the POST minimums, but never less, and POST certification is a separate thing from any one department’s own hiring test.

To become a Metro Nashville Police officer specifically, per the department’s own recruiting page, you’ll apply online through Metro’s Human Resources Department, then sit for a Civil Service Written Test and a Physical Ability Test (sit-ups, push-ups, a 300-meter run, and a 1.5-mile run). Scoring well enough moves you to a background investigation, which the department says can take four to six months, followed by a conditional job offer, a medical exam, a drug screen, psychological testing, and a voice stress analysis. Only after completing the academy are you POST-certified and sworn in. This sequence is specific to MNPD. Other Tennessee agencies build their own hiring tests on top of the same POST floor, so confirm the process directly with any department you’re considering.

Corrections and private security run on different rules entirely. Correctional officer hiring and training requirements vary by employer; state prisons and county jails each set their own standards, and POST’s peace-officer framework doesn’t automatically apply. Private security guards in Tennessee are licensed separately, through the Department of Commerce and Insurance’s Private Protective Services division, with different training requirements for armed and unarmed roles.

Pay and Job Outlook for Criminal Justice Careers in Nashville

Here’s what the numbers look like in the Nashville metro area, as of May 2025 BLS wage data. These are occupation-wide medians, not starting pay, rank progression, or degree premiums for any specific department.

Career	Nashville Metro Median Wage
Security Guard	$37,010/year
First-Line Supervisor of Security Workers	$47,600/year
Correctional Officer and Jailer	$50,940/year
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer	$68,780/year
Detective and Criminal Investigator	$78,460/year

Statewide, Tennessee’s Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer positions are projected to grow 9.7 percent from 2024 to 2034, per ProjectionsCentral, with about 1,020 average annual openings. Security Guard positions are projected to grow 10.3 percent over the same period.

If you’re specifically interested in Metro Nashville Police pay and benefits, check the department’s own page directly. Individual departments set their own starting pay and step increases, and these can differ from the metro-wide median above. After you’re sworn in, the Nashville Fraternal Order of Police is the local union worth joining.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What criminal justice careers are available in Nashville?

Nashville’s metro economy supports the full range: patrol officers and detectives with Metro Nashville Police, correctional officers at Davidson County facilities, private security guards across the city’s hospitality and healthcare sectors, and paralegal or court support roles downtown. Federal openings with agencies headquartered elsewhere are also reachable from here.

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

No. Tennessee’s POST Commission requires a high school diploma or equivalent as part of its statewide minimum standards for certified officers, not a college degree. Metro Nashville Police adds its own civil service exam, physical ability test, and background investigation on top of that floor. Other Tennessee agencies can set additional requirements of their own, so check with a specific department before assuming its process matches MNPD’s.

How much do criminal justice jobs pay in the Nashville area?

As of May 2025 BLS data, Nashville-metro medians run from $37,010 for security guards up to $78,460 for detectives, with patrol officers at $68,780 in between. Correctional officers median $50,940. These are occupation-wide medians. Actual pay at a specific department can differ.

Where can I study criminal justice near Nashville?

Six area institutions offer a criminal-justice-family program per federal education data, from a certificate at Nashville State Community College to a master’s at Tennessee State University or Middle Tennessee State University in nearby Murfreesboro. Confirm current program details, including length and format, with each school directly.

What’s the job growth outlook for law enforcement in Tennessee?

Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer jobs in Tennessee are projected to grow 9.7 percent from 2024 to 2034, per ProjectionsCentral, with about 1,020 average annual openings statewide.

Key Takeaways

Six schools, one metro area. From a certificate at Nashville State Community College to a master’s at MTSU in Murfreesboro, the options span credential levels without leaving the region.
Tennessee POST sets the floor, agencies set the rest. The state’s minimum standards apply to certified peace officers statewide, but Metro Nashville Police and every other Tennessee department can add its own testing on top, so the process varies by employer.
Median pay varies widely by role. Nashville-metro medians span from $37,010 for security guards to $78,460 for detectives and criminal investigators, as of May 2025 BLS data.
Patrol and security roles are both growing statewide. ProjectionsCentral projects 9.7 percent growth for patrol officers and 10.3 percent for security guards in Tennessee through 2034.

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

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