New Hampshire has 12 ranked programs at 10 schools, a compact field. University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online leads the criminal justice schools in New Hampshire for a bachelor’s degree, with 6 degrees conferred in 2023-24 and a resident price of $7,812 a year in tuition and fees.
Best Criminal Justice Schools in New Hampshire for a Bachelor’s Degree
The 7 ranked bachelor’s programs in New Hampshire 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. How the scores work. The first 5 have cards below, and 2 more follow in a table.
171.2
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online
UNH's College of Professional Studies offers its Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice online, covering criminology, corrections, probation, parole, constitutional law and advocacy for both working professionals and newcomers to the field.
SNHU teaches its Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice online with a general track or one of 8 specializations, and runs a separate Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies on its campus in Manchester, New Hampshire.
120 credits
The criminal justice degree is taught online in 8-week terms
SNHU accepts up to 90 transfer credits toward the degree
Plymouth State's BS in criminal justice puts heavy emphasis on the criminal justice system itself and how its branches operate together and independently, with required courses in research methods, data analysis and technology in criminal justice.
120 credits
Required courses include research methods, data analysis and technology in criminal justice
The capstone is an internship in criminal justice or a criminal justice seminar
Plymouth State also offers a 96-credit applied bachelor's degree in Police Studies
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The Criminal Justice (B.S.) totals 120 credits. Major requirements include Criminal Justice in Action, Police and Society, Criminal Procedure, Corrections, Crime and Criminals, Criminal Law, Society, Ethics, and the Law, Research Methods in Criminal Justice, Data Analysis for Criminal Justice and Technology in Criminal Justice, with a capstone of either an internship in criminal justice or a criminal justice seminar. Students add a major elective from options such as Criminal Investigation, Cybercrime and Forensic Science, plus the university's Pathways general education courses. The department also offers the Police Studies applied bachelor's degree, a 96-credit program aimed at students who come into college knowing they want a career in law enforcement.
Plymouth State admits first-year and transfer students, and offers of admission depend on verification that the student completed the senior year of high school. The department says it aims to serve students interested in careers spanning law enforcement, investigations, court administration, corrections, juvenile services and loss prevention, as well as graduate or law school, and it partners with local and regional agencies to provide academic and research support.
Keene State's Criminal Justice Studies B.A. pairs a core in criminology, research methods and statistics with electives drawn from criminal justice studies, the courts and law, sociology and anthropology, the human services and forensics.
44-credit major within a degree of at least 120 credits
Core courses require a grade of C or higher
A dual major in Criminal Justice and Sociology is offered
Freshman students apply through the Common Application
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The Criminal Justice Studies major is 44 credits within a degree of at least 120 credits. Its core courses are Intro Criminal Justice Studies, Criminology, Advanced Criminology, Sociological Research Methods and Introductory Statistics, plus Criminal Law & Procedure or Constitutional Law and one course from a list that includes White-Collar Crime, Terrorism and Women and Crime. Students then choose at least 16 elective credits from course groups in criminal justice studies, the courts and law, sociology and anthropology, the human services and forensics, with two of those courses at the 300-level or higher, and core courses require a grade of C or higher.
Freshman students apply to Keene State through the Common Application, and transfer students use the college's transfer application. The major prepares students for work in local, state and federal criminal justice agencies and the private sector, and can serve as a foundation for graduate study in criminology, law, social work, sociology, psychology and government. The department also offers a dual major in Criminal Justice and Sociology and encourages students interested in forensics to combine the major with biology or chemistry.
New England College teaches its Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice on campus with classes led by attorneys and law enforcement professionals, and it also offers a separate Criminal Justice, BA Online that is 100% online.
120 credits in either format
The on-campus program is designed to be completed in four years
The online BA is offered 100% online with multiple start dates
Transfer students can bring in up to 90 credits toward a bachelor's degree
NEC charges no application fee and does not require test scores
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The on-campus BA requires 120 credits (40 in criminal justice core courses, 8 in criminal justice electives, 42 in the Liberal Arts & Sciences Core Curriculum and 30 in general electives) and is designed to be completed in four years at NEC's Henniker, New Hampshire campus. Students visit local courts, law enforcement agencies and correctional facilities, attend a two-day law enforcement hiring seminar, can take part in law enforcement simulations and individually designed internships, and in the senior seminar travel to the Washington, D.C., area during spring break. The Criminal Justice, BA Online also requires 120 credits (36 in major requirements, 12 in major electives, 40 in the Liberal Arts & Sciences Core Curriculum and 32 in electives), with core courses that include Introduction to Criminal Justice, Criminology, Statistics for the Social Sciences, Criminal Justice Ethics, Corrections, Criminal Law, Police in Society and Issues in Professional Practice: Criminal Justice.
NEC's undergraduate admission asks for a high school transcript, the college charges no application fee and does not require test scores, and transfer students can bring in up to 90 credits toward a bachelor's degree. The online program asks applicants for a final official high school or GED transcript and offers multiple start dates, and NEC says full-time students typically complete it in four years.
nec.edu
Bachelor’s Programs Ranked 6-7 in New Hampshire
Bachelor’s programs in criminal justice ranked 6 to 7 in New Hampshire
Rank and school
In-state tuition and fees, a year
Completion
Graduates
Format
Score
6
Franklin Pierce University Rindge, NH
$44,963
52%
17
46.3
7
Rivier University Nashua, NH
$37,791
70%
5
On campus
41.5
Tuition and fees are 2023-24 IPEDS figures; school prices were read between October 7, 2026 and October 14, 2026.
Associate Degree Programs in New Hampshire
The two-year route at criminal justice schools in New Hampshire has 4 ranked associate’s programs. A resident pays a median $7,200 a year in tuition and fees, $2,347 above the national median of $4,853 for ranked associate’s programs. Southern New Hampshire University leads the list, and it conferred 537 criminal justice degrees 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 one more follows in a table.
SNHU's online Associate of Science in Criminal Justice runs in 8-week terms, and its credits can be transferred into the university's online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.
60 credits
The program is taught online in 8-week terms
SNHU accepts up to 45 transfer credits toward the degree
NHTI's associate degree in criminal justice teaches the basics of the field along with criminal procedure and criminal law, and the college says the program can be completed entirely online.
62 total credits
The program can be completed entirely online
Admission requires an official high school transcript or equivalent
Students finish with an internship or a senior project
Read more
The Criminal Justice associate of science at NHTI in Concord, New Hampshire totals 62 credits. Students start with the field's basics and the rules of criminal procedure and criminal law, then move into specialty areas from juvenile justice and corrections operations to police-community relations, taught by professionals who have spent significant time as practitioners in the field. The program finishes with either an internship or a senior project, and the college says it can be completed entirely online.
Admission calls for an official high school transcript or its equivalent. The college says background checks typically come before a student is accepted for an internship, and applicants who have been in difficulty with the law may not be eligible for an internship. Internship sites listed include the N.H. Department of Corrections, the N.H. Public Defender's Office and the N.H. State Police.
White Mountains Community College's criminal justice associate degree gives credit toward the degree to graduates of the full-time police academy and the full-time state corrections academy.
The Associate in Science requires 62 credits
Full-time police academy and full-time state corrections academy graduates receive credit toward the degree
The degree includes a criminal justice internship
Students can enroll full time or part time
Read more
The Associate in Science covers law enforcement, the court system and the correctional environment, pairing general education requirements with core criminal justice courses. The curriculum includes Introduction to Criminal Justice, Criminology, Introduction to Homeland Security, Criminal Law, Forensic Science, Corrections Operations, Drug Abuse and the Law, Criminal Procedure, Juvenile Justice Administration, Justice and the Community, and a criminal justice internship. The college also offers an entry-level criminal justice certificate.
The college says the degree lets both pre-service and in-service students study full time or part time, and that they may also continue their studies at a four-year college or university; it names articulation agreements with Plymouth State University, UNH College of Professional Studies and the University of New Hampshire at Manchester, New Hampshire. Background checks may come before an internship placement, and applicants with a criminal record may not be eligible for an internship.
wmcc.edu
Associate Program Ranked 4 in New Hampshire
Associate degree program in criminal justice ranked 4 in New Hampshire
Rank and school
In-state tuition and fees, a year
Completion
Graduates
Score
4
Great Bay Community College Portsmouth, NH
$7,200
41%
11
36.0
Tuition and fees are 2023-24 IPEDS figures; school prices were read between October 7, 2026 and October 14, 2026.
Criminal Justice Master’s Programs in New Hampshire
Southern New Hampshire University has the one ranked master’s program among criminal justice schools in New Hampshire, at $20,469 a year in graduate tuition and fees for a resident.
Master’s programs in criminal justice ranked in New Hampshire. Every program here is online
Rank and school
In-state tuition and fees, a year
Completion
Graduates
Score
1
Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH
$20,469
43%
253
47.7
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 New Hampshire
6 programs at criminal justice schools in New Hampshire rank on the national online lists (2 at the associate’s level, 3 at the bachelor’s level and 1 at the master’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, Southern New Hampshire University is 14th among 187 ranked online bachelor’s programs, the best placed of the 3 online bachelor’s programs at schools in New Hampshire.
Online criminal justice programs from schools in New Hampshire, 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 New Hampshire
The ranked bachelor’s programs charge residents anywhere from $7,812 a year (University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online) to $44,963 (Franklin Pierce University) in tuition and fees. The median is $16,450, $2,266 above the national median of $14,184 for ranked bachelor’s programs.
Ranked criminal justice programs in New Hampshire: tuition and graduation rate by level
Level
Ranked programs
Median tuition and fees, a year
Lowest to highest
Median graduation rate
Bachelor’s programs
7
$16,450
$7,812 to $44,963
46%
Associate’s programs
4
$7,200
$7,050 to $16,450
38%
Master’s programs
1
$20,469
$20,469
By type of school, the median bachelor’s program charges $14,558 at public colleges and $32,453 at private nonprofit colleges.
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 New Hampshire Requires to Become a Police Officer
The New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council sets the education minimum for police officers in New Hampshire. New Hampshire requires a high school diploma, and accepts a high school equivalency certificate or two years of accredited college in its place. The same rule covers state probation and parole officers.
“No person shall be employed as a full or part-time police, corrections or probation/parole officer who is not a high school graduate, except as provided in (c) or (d) below;”
New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council, N.H. Admin. R. Pol 301.01, read October 7, 2026: gc.nh.gov
College can stand in for part of the minimum. Two years of accredited postsecondary education are accepted in place of a high school diploma. gc.nh.gov, read October 7, 2026.
You don’t need a degree to meet that minimum. Departments can ask for more than the state does, and BLS says 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 New Hampshire
BLS puts New Hampshire’s patrol officer (SOC 33-3051) median at $71,640, $4,570 below the $76,210 national figure. Among the 51 states and districts BLS reports, it ranks 30th from the top, with 2,460 people in the job. The lowest-paid tenth earn $57,930 or less, and the highest-paid tenth earn $89,940 or more.
Within New Hampshire, the median runs from $61,360 for correctional officers and jailers (SOC 33-3012) up to $89,290 for detectives and criminal investigators (SOC 33-3021). Against the national medians, New Hampshire pays more for correctional officers and jailers and less for patrol officers and detectives and criminal investigators; the widest gap is for patrol officers (SOC 33-3051), $4,570 below the national median of $76,210.
Median annual pay for three criminal justice jobs in New Hampshire 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 Degrees in New Hampshire
What Are the Best Criminal Justice Schools in New Hampshire?
University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online ranks first for a bachelor’s degree, ahead of Southern New Hampshire University and Plymouth State University; New Hampshire has 7 ranked bachelor’s programs in all. For an associate degree, Southern New Hampshire University leads 4 ranked associate’s programs in New Hampshire. For a master’s degree, Southern New Hampshire University leads 1 ranked master’s program in New Hampshire. 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 New Hampshire?
Costs depend on the level. In 2023-24 tuition and required fees for a full-time resident came to a median $7,200 at the associate’s programs ($7,050 to $16,450), $16,450 at the bachelor’s programs ($7,812 to $44,963) and $20,469 at its ranked master’s program. The national median for a ranked bachelor’s program is $14,184.
What Does New Hampshire Require of New Police Officers?
A degree is not part of the minimum the rule sets. New Hampshire requires a high school diploma, and accepts a high school equivalency certificate or two years of accredited college in its place. The same rule covers state probation and parole officers. A degree is not a peace officer license, and departments can ask for more than the minimum. Read how every state and district handles police education to see where this rule sits.
What Do Police Officers Earn in New Hampshire?
BLS puts the median for patrol officers (SOC 33-3051) in New Hampshire at $71,640 a year, $4,570 below the national median of $76,210. There, detectives and criminal investigators (SOC 33-3021) earn $89,290 and correctional officers and jailers (SOC 33-3012) $61,360. These are May 2025 medians.
Can You Earn a Criminal Justice Degree Online From a School in New Hampshire?
Yes. 6 programs at 4 schools in New Hampshire 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.
Other Criminal Justice Schools in New Hampshire
3 more criminal justice schools in New Hampshire conferred criminal justice degrees in 2023-24. Each is listed with what it confers and its federal tuition and graduation rate, starting with the school that conferred the most degrees. The most common level here is the associate’s, conferred by 2. A program needs at least five graduates at its level in 2023-24 to be ranked, so a small program appears with its figures and no score.
Other schools in New Hampshire with criminal justice degrees, by degrees conferred
School
Type
Degrees conferred, 2023-24
In-state tuition and fees, a year
Graduation rate
Nashua Community College Nashua, NH
Public
Associate’s 3
$7,140
30%
Colby-Sawyer College New London, NH
Private nonprofit
Bachelor’s 2
$18,400
62%
River Valley Community College Claremont, NH
Public
Associate’s 2
$6,940
31%
Tuition and fees are 2023-24 IPEDS figures; school prices were read between October 7, 2026 and October 14, 2026.
More State Pages to Compare With New Hampshire
Nearby pages, starting with two from the Northeast, New Hampshire’s Census region, each with a figure from its own state.
Sources for the New Hampshire 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.
