In Idaho, fifteen college credits are accepted in place of a high school diploma. Boise State University leads the criminal justice schools in Idaho for a bachelor’s degree, with 124 degrees conferred in 2023-24 and a resident price of $8,782 a year in tuition and fees. Idaho has 8 ranked programs in all: 5 associate’s and 3 bachelor’s.
Best Criminal Justice Schools in Idaho for a Bachelor’s Degree
The 3 ranked bachelor’s programs in Idaho are scored on cost (22%), graduate earnings (22%), completion (17%), online experience (17%), track record (11%) and program reputation (11%), using the price a resident pays. Each score is the program’s national score on the price a resident pays, so it matches the program’s score on the national list. The methodology page explains each factor.
Boise State's Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice pairs a broad liberal arts education with study of the justice system, and every course the major requires is available online as well as face to face.
All courses required for the major are available online
Students can combine online and face-to-face courses
Admission to the major requires upper-division standing of 58 or more credits
Elective topics include criminal law, organized crime, criminalistics and white collar crime
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The degree combines general education courses, program-specific requirements and electives on topics such as criminal law, organized crime, criminalistics and white collar crime, and the department pairs classroom study with an internship process. All courses required for the major are available online, students can mix online and face-to-face classes, online-only students get reserved seats in online courses, and the diploma does not mark the degree as an online degree.
Boise State considers high school graduates and GED and HiSET recipients for admission, and every incoming student starts as a pre-criminal justice student who applies to the major after finishing the lower-division prerequisites and reaching upper-division standing at 58 or more credits; students with no college courses yet and transfer students both begin with those lower-division requirements, which online students can complete through Boise State's Online Degree Pathway. A total of 5 classes (CJ315, CJ317, CJ425, CJ426 and CJ498) are open only to admitted majors.
Lewis-Clark State College's Justice Studies bachelor's degree studies crime, justice and policy through the social and behavioral sciences, with three emphasis areas and field training placements in criminal justice agencies.
120 semester credits
Students can pursue three emphasis areas
The degree is offered in Lewiston, Idaho and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Field training placements in criminal justice agencies are available
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The 120-credit bachelor's degree teaches crime, justice and policy through the lens of the social and behavioral sciences, and students pursue an emphasis in policing and law enforcement, law and the legal system, or corrections and human services. Field training placements in criminal justice agencies are available as part of the program's professional focus.
LC State lists the bachelor's degree in Lewiston, Idaho and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. High school seniors, high school graduates and GED holders who have completed fewer than 14 transferable semester college credits apply as first-year applicants, and the major prepares students for careers in federal, state and local criminal justice and human service agencies.
Northwest Nazarene University offers a campus Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice that includes a criminal justice practicum and an internship, and a separate accelerated, fully online Criminal Justice Leadership degree designed for working adults.
The campus degree requires a minimum of 124 semester credits
The online Criminal Justice Leadership degree requires a minimum of 92 semester credits
The campus major includes an internship in criminal justice
Online courses start every 8 weeks
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The on-campus Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice requires a minimum of 124 semester credits for the degree, with a major of 46-49 credits that includes Police and Communities, Criminal Punishment and Corrections, Victimology, Criminal Law, Criminology, Criminal Court Systems, Criminal Procedure and an internship in criminal justice. The online Accelerated Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Leadership combines criminal justice courses with organizational leadership in a minimum of 92 semester credits, with courses starting every 8 weeks.
NNU describes the campus major as part of a traditional four-year Christian liberal arts program that also serves graduates of community college criminal justice programs and people who hold a bachelor's degree in another field and want to change professions. First-time students apply to NNU with an unofficial high school transcript and an application. The online degree is built for working adults and can be finished in as few as 18 months; applicants with fewer than 16 college credits submit both high school and college transcripts.
nnu.edu
Associate Degree Programs in Idaho
If you’re starting with an associate degree, criminal justice schools in Idaho give you 5 associate’s programs to compare, against 3 for a bachelor’s. The median resident price is $4,960 a year, about what the national median of $4,853 is. College of Southern Idaho ranks first and conferred 25 associate degrees in criminal justice in 2023-24. Completion runs lower at two-year schools because many students transfer or study part time, so associate’s programs are scored only against other associate’s programs. The first 3 have cards, and 2 more follow in a table.
The College of Southern Idaho offers a fully online Criminal Justice Associate of Arts that meets general education requirements at Idaho public universities, alongside a Law Enforcement Associate of Applied Science that the college says the Idaho POST Council has approved.
60 credits for each associate degree
The Criminal Justice Associate of Arts is offered fully online
Law Enforcement applicants must meet Idaho POST admission standards
The Associate of Arts meets general education requirements at Idaho public universities
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The Criminal Justice, Associate of Arts is a 60-credit transfer degree covering criminal psychology, the parts of the justice system, investigative procedures and the community the system serves. Its plan of study pairs general education with Introduction to Criminal Justice, Introduction to Law and Justice, Introduction to Policing, Criminal Evidence Law, Introduction to Corrections and Law of Arrest, Search and Seizure, and the college lists it among its fully online programs.
The college says the Associate of Arts meets general education requirements at all Idaho public universities. The Law Enforcement, Associate of Applied Science is also 60 credits and ends with a semester of law enforcement skills courses; the college says the Idaho Police Officers Standards and Training (POST) Council has approved the program, so graduates do not need to attend the basic police academy before the certification exam, and applicants must meet POST admission standards that may include a background check, with admission steps that can include a drug test, polygraph examination and physical fitness test.
College of Western Idaho's Criminal Justice Associate of Arts can be completed fully online or at its Nampa, Idaho campus and county centers, and the college also runs a Law Enforcement AAS that includes a Basic Patrol Academy it says the Idaho POST Council approved.
60 semester credits
All requirements for the Associate of Arts may be completed fully online
The Associate of Arts is offered at the Nampa, Idaho campus and the Canyon County and Ada County centers
Law Enforcement applicants complete a separate, competitive application
$10,575 for the program
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The Criminal Justice - Associate of Arts Degree (AA) requires a minimum of 60 credits: general education plus Introduction to Criminal Justice, Introduction to Policing, Introduction to Law and Justice, Introduction to Corrections, Writing for Criminal Justice, Criminology, and a capstone or internship. All of its requirements may be completed fully online, it is also offered at the Nampa, Idaho campus, Canyon County Center and Ada County Center, and the college gives a time to complete of 2 years.
CWI is an open-admission college where any applicant with a high school diploma or its equivalent is eligible, and the Associate of Arts prepares students to transfer to an upper-division criminal justice program or start a career. The Law Enforcement - Associate of Applied Science Degree (AAS) is a separate, competitive program of at least 60 credits; applicants complete a separate application, a criminal background check, a driver history check and a polygraph examination, and the college says its Basic Patrol Academy is approved by the Idaho POST Council.
Lewis-Clark State College's associate degree in Justice Studies, offered in Lewiston, Idaho and online, studies crime, justice and policy through the social and behavioral sciences.
60 credits
The associate degree is offered in Lewiston, Idaho and online
High school graduates and GED holders apply as first-year applicants
Read more
The associate degree in Justice Studies totals 60 credits and is listed in Lewiston, Idaho and online, and LC State's online program list includes Justice Studies with the AA among its awards. The program teaches crime, justice and policy through the lens of the social and behavioral sciences, and Justice Studies is also offered as a bachelor's degree and a minor.
High school seniors, high school graduates and GED holders who have completed fewer than 14 transferable semester college credits apply to LC State as first-year applicants. The program prepares students for careers in federal, state and local criminal justice and human service agencies, and field training placements in criminal justice agencies are available.
lcsc.edu
Associate Programs Ranked 4-5 in Idaho
Associate degree programs in criminal justice ranked 4 to 5 in Idaho
Rank and school
In-state tuition and fees, a year
Completion
Graduates
Score
4
North Idaho College Coeur d'Alene, ID
$4,960
34%
8
42.9
5
Idaho State University Pocatello, ID
$8,356
58%
11
40.7
Tuition and fees are 2023-24 IPEDS figures; school prices were read between October 7, 2026 and October 14, 2026.
Online Criminal Justice Programs in Idaho
Online study is an option at criminal justice schools in Idaho: 5 programs rank on the national online lists (3 at the associate’s level and 2 at the bachelor’s level). Those lists score what an online student from another state pays for a credit, so the prices below are not the in-state prices above. At the bachelor’s level, Boise State University is 122nd among 187 ranked online bachelor’s programs, the best placed of the 2 online bachelor’s programs at schools in Idaho.
Online criminal justice programs from schools in Idaho, by place on the national online lists
Cost per credit is the rate the school’s page publishes, read between October 7, 2026 and October 14, 2026, or else its 2023-24 IPEDS per-credit charge.
What Criminal Justice Degrees Cost in Idaho
The ranked bachelor’s programs charge residents anywhere from $7,388 a year (Lewis-Clark State College) to $40,895 (Northwest Nazarene University) in tuition and fees. The state median is $8,782; the national median for ranked bachelor’s programs is $14,184, so Idaho sits $5,402 below it.
Ranked criminal justice programs in Idaho: tuition and graduation rate by level
Level
Ranked programs
Median tuition and fees, a year
Lowest to highest
Median graduation rate
Bachelor’s programs
3
$8,782
$7,388 to $40,895
60%
Associate’s programs
5
$4,960
$4,336 to $8,356
36%
In-district pricing applies at 3 of the colleges with ranked programs: their own residents pay less than other residents of Idaho. The widest gap is at North Idaho College: $3,396 a year in the district against $4,960 elsewhere in the state.
Boise State University adds $18,194 for students from out of state, bringing its yearly price to $26,976.
Prices are 2023-24 tuition and required fees for a full-time year, as each school reported them to IPEDS, before books, housing or financial aid.
What Idaho Requires to Become a Police Officer
Idaho requires graduation from an accredited high school, and accepts a GED, a state equivalency certificate or 15 college credits in its place. That minimum comes from the Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST). A GED or a state equivalency certificate is also accepted.
“Graduated from a school accredited as a high school at the time of graduation by the state in which it is located or by a recognized regional accreditation body; or”
Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST), IDAPA 11.11.01.053.01, read October 7, 2026: adminrules.idaho.gov
The state minimum doesn’t call for a degree. Individual departments choose their own standards, and BLS reports that the education police departments require ranges from a high school diploma to a college degree. A degree is not a peace officer license: certification comes from completing a police academy and meeting the standards that apply to the agency.
Criminal Justice Jobs and Pay in Idaho
Patrol officers (SOC 33-3051) in Idaho earn a median $66,990 a year, $9,220 below the national median of $76,210. That is the 35th highest of the 51 states and districts BLS reports, and 2,810 people hold the job. The lowest-paid tenth earn $48,840 or less, and the highest-paid tenth earn $97,980 or more.
Detectives and criminal investigators (SOC 33-3021) are the best paid of the four jobs in Idaho ($72,520); correctional officers and jailers (SOC 33-3012) are the lowest ($53,580). Idaho pays below the national median for all of them; the widest gap is for detectives and criminal investigators (SOC 33-3021), $21,270 below the national median of $93,790.
Median annual pay for four criminal justice jobs in Idaho and nationally, May 2025
Pay figures are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics medians for May 2025, each for the SOC occupation named beside it.
Questions About Criminal Justice Schools in Idaho
What Are the Best Criminal Justice Schools in Idaho?
The bachelor’s list of 3 ranked bachelor’s programs in Idaho is led by Boise State University, then Lewis-Clark State College and Northwest Nazarene University. For an associate degree, College of Southern Idaho leads 5 ranked associate’s programs in Idaho. Each list is the national ranking at its level kept to the state’s programs, scored on cost, graduate earnings, completion, online experience, track record and program reputation, with the cost at the in-state rate.
How Much Does a Criminal Justice Degree Cost in Idaho?
The price you’d pay as a resident of Idaho for a full-time year at its criminal justice schools in Idaho: $4,960 at the associate’s programs ($4,336 to $8,356) and $8,782 at the bachelor’s programs ($7,388 to $40,895), as median tuition and required fees for 2023-24. The national median for a ranked bachelor’s program is $14,184. Residents of a college’s own district pay less at 3 colleges, by as much as $1,564 a year.
What Does Idaho Require of New Police Officers?
A degree is not part of the minimum the rule sets. Idaho requires graduation from an accredited high school, and accepts a GED, a state equivalency certificate or 15 college credits in its place. A GED or a state equivalency certificate is also accepted. A degree is not a peace officer license, and departments can ask for more than the minimum. 44 of 47 state and district rules set a diploma or GED minimum, and the full state-by-state comparison shows which ask for more.
What Do Police Officers Earn in Idaho?
May 2025 BLS data give a $66,990 median for patrol officers (SOC 33-3051) in Idaho, $9,220 below the national median of $76,210. Related jobs there pay a median as follows: detectives and criminal investigators (SOC 33-3021) earn $72,520 and correctional officers and jailers (SOC 33-3012) $53,580.
Can You Earn a Criminal Justice Degree Online From a School in Idaho?
Yes. 5 programs at 5 schools in Idaho rank on the national online lists, and the online table above shows the highest-placed programs at each level with the price an online student from another state pays.
More State Pages to Compare With Idaho
These state pages come next: the first two share the West with Idaho, and each tile carries one figure from its state.
Sources for the Idaho Figures
Awards, charges, completion and online enrollment: the Department of Education's IPEDS data:
IPEDS completions and distance education, 2023-24; IPEDS tuition and fees and per-credit charges, 2023-24; IPEDS
graduation rates; and IPEDS Outcome Measures and fall 2024 enrollment, from the 2024 provisional release.
Programs are counted under the criminal justice codes in the federal CIP 43.01 series.
Graduate earnings: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard,
field-of-study data for Criminal Justice and Corrections (CIP 43.01). Earnings are College Scorecard's median for the school's criminal justice and corrections graduates (federal field 43.01) at the level who received federal aid, four years after finishing, or one year after where that is the only figure Scorecard publishes. Scorecard reports a median only where enough graduates can be counted, and it covers every program the school reports in that field.
Program names, credit counts, formats, entry requirements and published prices: each school's own program pages, read between October 7, 2026 and October 14, 2026.
