10 Fastest Criminal Justice Degrees Online in 2025

Criminal justice is a field that focuses on how the criminal justice system functions. Criminal justice professionals need to have a strong sense of legal frameworks and court systems, as well as solid decision-making and problem-solving skills.

Students who want to develop these competencies can do so through online criminal justice degrees. These programs often take four years to complete, but some can be finished sooner. Keep reading to discover some of the fastest criminal justice degrees online in the U.S.

Accelerated Criminal Justice Degrees Online

While most bachelor's degrees require around 120 credits, several colleges offer pathways that allow students to earn their credits faster, including accepting a high number of transfer credits, offering shortened, condensed terms, and offering terms in the summer. Below, we've highlighted some of the fastest criminal justice degrees online in the U.S.

1. Charter Oak State College

Charter Oak State College is a public online institution in New Britain, CT. It offers an online bachelor's degree in criminal justice that includes an optional concentration in victim advocacy. Core courses cover topics on criminology, criminal justice ethics, and constitutional law.

The college allows students to transfer credits that are applicable to the student's current program, including general education courses and major courses. The college also offers many alternative ways for students to bring in credits, such as through professional training or college-level exams. Courses are offered in six accelerated terms year-round.

• Time to completion: potentially less than one year, but depends on prior learning credits
• In-state and out-of-state tuition: $329 per credit hour
• Required credits to graduate: 120 total
• Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
• Financial aid: accepts the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), offers need-based scholarships, accepts private scholarships and grants

2. Empire State University

At Empire State University, students can earn a Bachelor of Science (BS) in criminal justice that provides a rigorous examination of the social, economic, and cultural contexts of criminal justice. It includes courses on criminal law, criminal investigation, forensic science, and more.

Empire State University is a public institution based in Saratoga Springs, NY. It's part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system and accepts up to 93 transfer credits into bachelor's degree programs. Terms are offered year-round, and accelerated term options are available.

• Time to completion: potentially less than one year, but depends on prior learning credits
• In-state tuition: $295 per credit hour
• Out-of-state tuition: $353 per credit hour
• Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)
• Required credits to graduate: 124 total
• Financial aid: accepts FAFSA and state aid like the Excelsior Scholarship, offers several institutional scholarships, accepts private financial aid

3. Franklin University

Franklin University offers an online BS in criminal science with multiple optional focus areas, including corrections, homeland security, law enforcement, and public administration. Franklin University is a private, nonprofit school in Columbus, OH, geared toward adult learners.

Classes are offered in six-week terms for a total of nine terms per year, including the summer. Students can transfer up to 90 credit hours, with 68 being the average number of transfer credits for students. Franklin also accepts credits from professional and military training, as well as college-level tests.

• Time to completion: potentially less than one year, but depends on prior learning credits
• In-state and out-of-state tuition: $398 per credit hour
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
• Required credits to graduate: 120 total
• Financial aid: accepts FAFSA, offers multiple institutional scholarships, accepts private financial aid

4. Lamar University

The online criminal justice degree at Lamar University is designed to help law enforcement professionals complete their degrees quickly by offering accelerated courses and accepting Police Training Academy credits. Students can transfer in up to 90 credit hours, and courses run on an eight-week schedule.

Lamar University, located in Beaumont, TX, is a public institution. Its criminal justice program includes courses on criminal investigation, correctional systems, organized crime, and contemporary issues in criminal justice.

• Time to completion: potentially less than one year, but depends on prior learning credits
• In-state and out-of-state tuition: $314 per credit hour
• Accreditation:Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• Required credits to graduate: 120 total
• Financial aid: accepts FAFSA, covers tuition and fees for certain courses for peace officers, accepts private financial aid

5. Penn State World Campus

Penn State World Campus is the online campus of the public Pennsylvania State University System. It offers an online Bachelor of Science in criminal justice that focuses on criminology, ethics, policing, and more.

Students can transfer up to 84 credit hours, leaving them with 36 credits to complete this undergraduate degree. Students who already have law enforcement training may be able to receive credits toward their degree program. Classes are offered in seven and 15-week terms year-round.

• Time to completion: less than two years, but depends on prior learning credits
• In-state and out-of-state tuition: $638 to $678 per credit hour
• Accreditation: MSCHE
• Required credits to graduate: 120 total
• Financial aid: accepts FAFSA, offers institutional scholarships, accepts private financial aid

6. San Diego State University

San Diego State University offers a BS in criminal justice degree completion program online. Students must have an associate degree or at least 60 transfer credits before applying. The program covers topics like forensic science, juvenile justice, and law enforcement.

SDSU is a public research university located in San Diego. Courses are offered on eight-week schedules, and they run throughout the year, including in the summer. Students who take three courses per module can finish within 15 months.

• Time to completion: approximately 15 months
• In-state and out-of-state tuition: $492 to $511 per credit hour
• Accreditation:Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)
• Required credits to graduate: 120 total
• Financial aid: accepts FAFSA and state aid like the CalGrant, offers institutional scholarships, accepts private financial aid

7. Southern New Hampshire University

The online bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Southern New Hampshire University offers multiple concentrations, including criminology, homeland security and counterterrorism, human services and advocacy, and police administration and operations. SNHU is a private, nonprofit institution based in Manchester, NH.

The school allows students to transfer up to 90 transfer credits, which can significantly reduce the credits they need to complete. Courses are offered in eight-week terms and run year-round.

• Time to completion: potentially less than one year, but depends on prior learning credits
• In-state and out-of-state tuition: $330 per credit hour
• Accreditation: NECHE
• Required credits to graduate: 120 total
• Financial aid: accepts FAFSA, accepts private financial aid

8. University of Maryland Global Campus

Through the University of Maryland Global Campus, students can earn a bachelor's degree in criminal justice online. UMGC is the online campus of the public University System of Maryland.

This program provides an introduction to criminal justice, tackling topics like law enforcement, crime prevention, ethics, social science, and interagency collaboration. The school accepts up to 90 transfer credits and also accepts credit for professional training and exams.

Courses are offered through accelerated spring, summer, and fall terms. A bachelor's-to-master's degree pathway is also available, which allows students to take some graduate-level courses while still in their bachelor's degree program.

• Time to completion: potentially less than one year, but depends on prior learning credits
• In-state tuition: $330 per credit hour
• Out-of-state tuition: $499 per credit hour
• Accreditation: MSCHE
• Required credits to graduate: 120 total
• Financial aid: accepts FAFSA, offers institutional scholarships, accepts private financial aid

9. University of Massachusetts Lowell

The University of Massachusetts Lowell is a public research institution in Lowell, MA. It offers an online Bachelor of Science in criminal justice that covers subjects like the criminal justice system, criminal justice research methods, criminal profiling, and systemic issues in criminal justice.

Students can transfer up to 90 credit hours, and courses are offered in accelerated eight-week terms. As a result, most students can finish their degrees in 12 to 36 months.

• Time to completion: as little as one year, but it depends on your prior learning credits
• In-state and out-of-state tuition: $385 per credit hour
• Accreditation: NECHE
• Required credits to graduate: 120 total
• Financial aid: accepts FAFSA, offers institutional grants and scholarships, accepts private financial aid

10. University of Oklahoma

At the University of Oklahoma, students can earn a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice online. This is a degree completion program, and students must have at least 24 transfer credit hours to apply. Students transferring the maximum credit load can finish in just 12 months.

OU, located in Norman, OK, is a public research university. Online courses are offered in accelerated, eight-week terms. Courses in this program cover topics like theories of criminal behavior, criminal investigation, homeland security, and ethics.

• Time to completion: as little as one year, but it depends on prior learning credits
• In-state tuition:$367.45 per credit hour
• Out-of-state tuition:$953.45 per credit hour
• Accreditation: HLC
• Required credits to graduate: 120 total
• Financial aid: accepts FAFSA, offers institutional scholarships, accepts private financial aid

FAQs About the Fastest Online Criminal Justice Degrees

Choosing an accelerated degree can be exciting, but there's also a lot to consider. Below, we've answered some frequently asked questions about the fastest online criminal justice degrees to help.

How Fast Can You Get a Criminal Justice Degree Online?

The amount of time it takes to earn a criminal justice degree online depends on how many credits you already have and how many you take each term going forward. Many colleges and universities allow students to transfer up to 75% of the credits they need, meaning that they can finish their degree in a year or less.

What Can I Do With a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice?

There are many different roles you can pursue with a criminal justice bachelor's degree. Some popular criminal justice careers include:

• criminologist
• correctional officer
• crime scene investigator
• parole or probation officer
• homeland security officer
• paralegal
• police officer or detective
• officer for other law enforcement agencies, like the FBI
• border patrol agent
• victim advocate

Some students choose to earn a master's degree to increase their career opportunities and chances for career advancement within the criminal justice field. Others choose to go to law school and pursue a career path in the legal field.

What Are the Advantages of Getting a Criminal Justice Degree Online?

Online programs provide students with far more flexibility than in-person programs. Typically, your courses will be offered in an asynchronous format, meaning that while you have set due dates, you can complete your coursework any time before it's due.

This is ideal for those who work full-time or who have family or other obligations to take care of, and for many, online degrees are the easiest criminal justice degrees. It also expands your options � you aren't limited to the schools in your area, you can choose from schools across the country.

Explore Online Criminal Justice Programs

Start your path toward a criminal justice career by exploring the online programs featured on Learn.org. Reach out to individual schools to request info on admissions requirements, enrollment, start dates, and more.