Texas Criminal Justice Programs: Careers, Salaries, and Schools
Updated September 17, 2026
Texas trains and hires more criminal justice professionals than almost any other state, with 123 colleges offering CJ-family degrees from certificate to Ph.D. Police officers earn a median $75,900 and detectives $90,510 statewide (BLS, May 2025), and Texas holds the nation’s largest state prison population, per the latest federal data (BJS, 2023).
Texas holds the largest state prison population in the country, per the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics’ latest published count for year-end 2023 — a scale the Texas Civil Rights Project has also tracked for years. Whatever door you’re walking through, Texas trains for it: 123 colleges in the state offer a CJ-family program, from a one-year certificate to a Ph.D., with concentrations in corrections, homeland security, law enforcement, and forensic science.
In Texas, the criminal justice system relies on skilled professionals in both human services and law enforcement. Concordia University, St. Paul offers flexible online programs in criminal justice, forensic behavioral health, CJ leadership, and more. Request information to learn more about the online criminal justice programs offered by CSP Global.
Before you pick a school, decide what door you’re walking through. An associate degree or certificate gets you into local policing, corrections, or private security fast. Texas offers both an associate degree and a certificate program pathway in-state. A bachelor’s degree is what most federal agencies and promotion boards actually check for; Texas has bachelor’s programs at multiple public and private schools, plus master’s-level programs for those aiming at research, teaching, or federal work.
Where to Study Criminal Justice in Texas
Per U.S. Department of Education data, 123 Texas colleges and universities offer at least one CJ-family program (criminal justice, legal support services, fire protection, homeland security, or security science and technology), spanning every credential level from certificate to Ph.D. None are distance-only, so every school below has a physical Texas campus. This is a sample built for range, not a ranking. Confirm current enrollment, format, and admission requirements directly with any school before you apply.
| Institution | City | Control | Credential Levels Offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston State University | Huntsville | Public | Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral, Graduate certificate |
| Texas State University | San Marcos | Public | Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral, Graduate & Post-baccalaureate certificate |
| University of Texas at El Paso | El Paso | Public | Bachelor’s, Master’s, Graduate certificate |
| Texas A&M University-College Station | College Station | Public | Bachelor’s, Undergraduate & Graduate certificate |
| Texas Christian University | Fort Worth | Private nonprofit | Bachelor’s, Master’s, Graduate & Post-baccalaureate certificate |
| St. Mary’s University | San Antonio | Private nonprofit | Bachelor’s |
| Houston Community College | Houston | Public | Associate, Undergraduate certificate |
| Dallas College | Dallas | Public | Associate, Undergraduate certificate |
| Austin Community College District | Austin | Public | Associate, Undergraduate certificate |
| San Antonio College | San Antonio | Public | Associate, Undergraduate certificate |
| Lone Star College System | The Woodlands | Public | Associate, Undergraduate certificate |
| Remington College-Dallas Campus | Dallas | Private nonprofit | Associate, Bachelor’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.
Criminal Justice Careers in Texas
Texas breaks criminal justice work into the same three branches as every other state: law enforcement, the courts, and corrections. Each one hires, trains, and pays differently, so know which lane you’re aiming for before you pick a degree.
Law Enforcement Careers in Texas
Patrol is where most law enforcement careers start. You’ll answer calls, work traffic, and build the case file a detective takes over later; detectives and criminal investigators specialize in following that file through to an arrest. Expect a police academy, a background investigation, and, at many Texas departments, a polygraph before you’re sworn in.
| Career | 2024–34 TX Job Growth | Texas Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Police officers (33-3051) | +8.9% | $75,900 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators (33-3021) | +6.3% | $90,510 |
BLS does track a separate Private Detectives and Investigators occupation (33-9021), but Texas-specific wage and growth data for it isn’t available in this dataset. The closest figure we can verify is for Detectives and Criminal Investigators (33-3021) above, a related but distinct, mostly public-sector role. If you’re weighing the private side of the work specifically, the private investigator specialty page covers licensing and how the pay typically compares.
Career Paths in the Texas Courts
After an arrest, the courts take over. Paralegals conduct research, take depositions, and keep cases moving; prosecutors decide whether to file charges and argue the state’s case in court. Paralegals generally don’t need a mandatory statewide license in Texas, while prosecutors must be licensed attorneys, so the two roles get there through very different paths.
| Career | 2024–34 TX Job Growth | Texas Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Paralegals and legal assistants (23-2011) | +13.9% | $62,310 |
| Prosecutors (BLS: Lawyers, 23-1011) | +16.6% | $154,200 |
BLS doesn’t publish a separate prosecutor occupation; the figure above is for lawyers generally (23-1011), the closest published match. Prosecutors are licensed attorneys employed by state or local government, not always the state itself, so treat this as a broad comparison, not a prosecutor-specific salary.
Texas Corrections System Careers
Corrections starts where policing ends. Correctional officers and jailers supervise people serving time under Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) rules, which require their own eligibility screening and roughly 240 hours, about six weeks, of pre-service academy training, separate from the TCOLE peace-officer licensing system. Probation officers supervise people who avoided that time instead, trading a cellblock for a caseload. Texas Government Code §76.005 generally requires a bachelor’s degree for officers who supervise defendants on community supervision, with a narrow statutory waiver available in limited cases.
| Career | 2024–34 TX Job Growth | Texas Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Correctional officers and jailers (33-3012) | -4.5% | $52,670 |
| Probation officers (21-1092) | +8.0% | $52,880 |
May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers and Detectives and Criminal Investigators, Paralegals and Legal Assistants, Lawyers, Correctional Officers and Jailers, and Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists—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 September 2026.
Criminal Justice Education Resources in Texas
These state agencies post the application steps, eligibility rules, and open jobs behind the careers above.
- Corrections: The Texas Department of Criminal Justice runs recruiting events year-round and lists eligibility for parole officer, corrections officer, and Office of the Inspector General roles.
- Police officers: The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement posts training requirements, licensing steps, and open jobs for police officers, jailers, peace officers, dispatchers, and animal control officers statewide.
- Highway patrol officers: The Texas Department of Public Safety outlines how to become a state trooper, sergeant, or agent, including salary, benefits, and internship details.
- Justice system: The Texas Attorney General’s office hires deputy attorneys general, child support officers, legal assistants, and bailiffs, and posts current openings on its job listings page.
Major Texas Cities
Main Criminal Justice Governmental Agencies and Entities in Texas
- Texas Office of the Attorney General: Handles consumer protection, victim support, child support, and open-government issues, alongside emerging areas like human trafficking, cybersecurity, election integrity, and the opioid epidemic.
- Texas Department of Criminal Justice: Processes and manages offenders across county, state, and federal facilities.
- Texas Commission on Law Enforcement: Licenses and regulates Texas peace officers, jailers, and telecommunicators.
- Texas Judicial Branch: Runs the state’s courts, including the Texas Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals, and 14 Courts of Appeals, as well as children’s, specialty, and trial courts.
Resources for Criminal Justice Students and Professionals in Texas
A professional association puts you in front of industry contacts, scholarships, mentors, and career advice you won’t find in a job posting.
- Texas Probation Association: Organized in 1974 by Texas corrections professionals; members get conference access, award nominations, and legislative updates.
- Texas Municipal Police Association: TMPA describes itself as the largest law enforcement association in Texas, representing more than 35,000 officers, and offers training courses, networking events, benefits support, legal assistance, and political lobbying.
- Texas State Troopers Association: Members get legislative updates, legal representation, insurance, counseling, estate planning, scholarships, and death and disaster benefits.
- Texas Justice Court Judges Association: Open to justice court judges and clerks; offers education classes, seminars, scholarships, and legislative updates.
- Texas Trial Lawyers Association: Runs networking events and continuing legal education, as well as directories, political action committees, and legislative representation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a college degree to become a police officer in Texas?
Not necessarily. Texas peace officers generally must meet TCOLE eligibility standards, complete an approved Basic Peace Officer Course or another qualifying pathway, and pass the state licensing exam; a college degree isn’t part of that state-level requirement. Individual departments can add their own education, age, testing, and hiring requirements on top of TCOLE’s floor, and a bachelor’s still helps with pay and promotion at larger agencies.
What criminal justice career in Texas pays the most on this page?
Among the roles covered here, lawyers (23-1011) have the highest median pay at $154,200 (BLS, May 2025); that figure serves as a proxy for prosecutor pay, since BLS doesn’t track prosecutors separately. Detectives and criminal investigators (33-3021) come in second at $90,510. Both require a law degree or years of investigative experience, not an entry-level credential.
Which Texas criminal justice career is growing fastest?
Lawyers (23-1011) are projected to grow 16.6% in Texas from 2024 to 2034, and paralegals (23-2011) 13.9%, both ahead of police officers (33-3051, +8.9%) and probation officers (21-1092, +8.0%), per ProjectionsCentral. Correctional officers and jailers (33-3012) are the only ones here expected to shrink, down 4.5% over the same period.
Can I finish a criminal justice degree in Texas without leaving my county?
Likely yes. 123 Texas colleges and universities offer at least one CJ-family program, per federal education data, including two-year community colleges in most metro areas. Confirm the specific credential and delivery format with the school, since program offerings change faster than federal data updates.
How does a Texas prosecutor differ from a lawyer in BLS’s data?
BLS doesn’t track prosecutors as a separate occupation; the wage and growth figures above are for lawyers generally (23-1011), the closest published match. Prosecutors are licensed attorneys employed by state or local governments, so treat the lawyer figures as a broad comparison, not an exact match for prosecutor salaries.
Key Takeaways
- 123 Texas schools offer a CJ-family program – from certificate to Ph.D., per federal education data, and none of them are distance-only.
- Pay varies widely by branch – Texas correctional officers median $52,670, police officers $75,900, lawyers $154,200 (BLS, May 2025).
- Corrections is the only shrinking role on this page – correctional officers and jailers (33-3012) are projected to fall 4.5% by 2034, while every other career here is projected to grow.
- Texas has the largest state prison population in the country, per the latest published federal data (BJS, year-end 2023).
Weighing the cost of a degree against a faster route through the academy? The scholarships guide lists awards built for criminal justice students, with eligibility, amounts, and deadlines.
Read: Scholarships for Criminal Justice Majors and Grad Students