Locate Dallas Criminal Justice Schools

Updated September 29, 2026

Dallas is home to seven schools with programs in the criminal justice and protective services family, six of them offering criminal justice degrees specifically and one offering legal support services. In the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro, the BLS reports a May 2025 median wage of $92,910 for police and sheriff’s patrol officers and $86,110 for detectives and criminal investigators.

Dallas is one of the largest cities in Texas, made up of more than three dozen neighborhoods, and it’s home to a wide range of criminal justice employers, from the municipal police department to the county court system and private security firms.

The Dallas Police Department is one of the largest criminal justice employers in North Texas, with substations across six distinct areas of the city. Officers there work everything from prescription fraud and robbery to homicide and victimology, so the department hires for specialties well beyond basic patrol.

Featured Programs:

Criminal Justice Schools in Other Major Texas Cities

Criminal Justice Education in Dallas

Whether you study in Dallas proper or one of the surrounding suburbs, you have several types of schools to choose from, public and private. Tuition, financial aid, and program format vary by school, so it’s worth comparing them directly rather than assuming one type of school is cheaper or better-funded than another.

An associate degree in criminal justice typically runs two years and often includes general education requirements alongside core justice courses, such as criminal justice ethics, policing procedures, or court procedures. Exact course requirements and program length vary by school.

A bachelor’s degree typically runs about four years and builds on many of the same foundational subjects, sometimes with the option to choose a concentration. Curriculum and concentration options vary by school.

Building a network before you graduate can be worthwhile too. Local groups include the Texas Association of Licensed Investigators, the Dallas Area Paralegal Association, the Dallas Police Association, and the Texas Jail Association.

Where to Study Criminal Justice in Dallas

Seven institutions located in Dallas offer a program in the broader criminal-justice and protective-services family, per U.S. Department of Education data. Six of them, Dallas College, Dallas Baptist University, the University of North Texas at Dallas, Paul Quinn College, Remington College-Dallas Campus, and University of Phoenix-Texas, offer a criminal justice program specifically. The seventh, Peloton College, offers legal support services (paralegal) programs rather than criminal justice.

Institution	Control	Programs Offered
Dallas College	Public	Associate and certificate in Criminal Justice, Legal Support Services, and Fire Protection
Dallas Baptist University	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s, master’s, and certificate in Criminal Justice
University of North Texas at Dallas	Public	Bachelor’s and master’s in Criminal Justice
Remington College-Dallas Campus	Private nonprofit	Associate and bachelor’s in Criminal Justice, associate in Legal Support Services
University of Phoenix-Texas	Private for-profit	Bachelor’s and certificate in Criminal Justice, bachelor’s in Homeland Security
Paul Quinn College	Private nonprofit	Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice
Peloton College	Private for-profit	Associate and certificate in Legal Support Services

This reflects what each school reported to the Department of Education as of the April 2025 field-of-study file, not necessarily what’s enrolling students for the current academic year. That gap matters most for multi-campus and online-heavy institutions like University of Phoenix-Texas and Remington College-Dallas Campus, where the listed credential may be offered institution-wide or online rather than through the Dallas location specifically. Confirm current program availability, format, admission requirements, and whether a given program is taught at the Dallas campus directly with the school before you apply.

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.

Job Outlook for Criminal Justice Careers in Dallas

Here’s what several criminal justice occupations paid in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro as of May 2025, according to the BLS:

Security guards: $36,680 median per year
Bailiffs: $79,040 median per year
Correctional officers and jailers: $58,930 median per year
First-line supervisors of correctional officers: $77,550 median per year
Detectives and criminal investigators: $86,110 median per year
Police and sheriff’s patrol officers: $92,910 median per year

For FBI Special Agent positions specifically, a bachelor’s degree is a baseline education requirement, but it isn’t sufficient on its own. Candidates generally also need qualifying professional work experience, typically two years with a bachelor’s degree or one year with an advanced degree, subject to the FBI’s own hiring rules at the time you apply. Other federal agencies set their own education and experience requirements, which vary by agency and occupation.

Statewide, Texas projects patrol officer employment to grow 8.9% and detective and investigator employment to grow 6.3% through 2034, according to ProjectionsCentral. Security guard employment is projected to grow faster still, at 14.6%, while correctional officer and jailer employment is projected to decline 4.5% over the same period. These are Texas employment projections, separate from the BLS wage figures above.

Licensing for Texas Peace Officers

The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) is the state agency that sets licensing and training standards for Texas peace officers, county jailers, and telecommunicators. The Dallas Police Department and other local agencies are the employers who hire and manage officers day to day, while TCOLE is the state body that licenses them. Becoming a licensed Texas peace officer generally involves meeting TCOLE’s eligibility requirements, completing required training such as the Basic Peace Officer Course, passing the applicable Texas/TCOLE licensing examination, and satisfying the appointment and employment requirements set by the hiring agency. Requirements and processes can vary, so confirm current details with TCOLE and the specific agency you’re applying to.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for security guards, bailiffs, correctional officers and jailers, first-line supervisors of correctional officers, detectives and criminal investigators, and police and sheriff’s patrol officers, each linked to its Occupational Outlook Handbook profile above. Long-term (2024-34) job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, ProjectionsCentral. Figures reflect city and state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a degree to become a police officer in Dallas?

A college degree is not a universal requirement to become a licensed peace officer in Texas. TCOLE sets baseline eligibility requirements for peace officer licensing statewide, but specific education and hiring requirements can vary by individual department, including the Dallas Police Department. Check the hiring agency’s current requirements directly rather than assuming one statewide standard applies everywhere.

What’s the licensing path for corrections and bailiff roles in Dallas?

County jailers subject to TCOLE requirements follow a Texas-specific jailer licensing and training framework administered by TCOLE, separate from the peace officer licensing track. Bailiff requirements vary by the employing court or agency and the specific duties involved, so there isn’t one uniform credential that covers every bailiff role. An academic criminal justice certificate or degree can be useful background, but it doesn’t substitute for TCOLE’s occupational licensing and training requirements. Confirm specific requirements with the hiring county or court.

How much do detectives make in the Dallas area?

Detectives and criminal investigators in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro earned a median $86,110 per year as of May 2025, according to the BLS. Hiring and promotion paths into detective roles are set by each individual department.

Is a criminal justice degree required to work for the FBI?

For FBI Special Agent positions, a bachelor’s degree is a baseline education requirement, but it’s not sufficient by itself. Candidates generally need qualifying professional work experience as well, typically two years with a bachelor’s degree or one year with an advanced degree, subject to the FBI’s specific hiring rules at the time you apply. The bachelor’s degree doesn’t have to be in criminal justice specifically.

Are corrections jobs growing in Texas?

Not currently. Texas projects correctional officer and jailer employment to decline about 4.5% through 2034, according to ProjectionsCentral, even as the occupation’s median wage in the Dallas metro sits above $58,000. Patrol, detective, and security guard employment are all projected to grow over the same period.

Key Takeaways

Seven Dallas-based schools offer a program in the criminal-justice and protective-services family. Six offer criminal justice specifically, and Peloton College offers legal support services instead.
BLS medians in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro (May 2025) range from $36,680 for security guards to $92,910 for police and sheriff’s patrol officers.
TCOLE, not any individual department, licenses Texas peace officers and jailers – Dallas PD and other local agencies are the employers, TCOLE sets the statewide standards.
Texas projects corrections employment to decline through 2034 even as patrol, detective, and security guard employment are all projected to grow.

Ready to compare programs? The schools listed above each offer different formats, costs, and specializations, so reach out to a few directly and ask about admission requirements, transfer credit, and job placement support before you decide.

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