Public colleges run 9 of the 10 ranked programs in Oregon. Portland State University leads the criminal justice schools in Oregon for a bachelor’s degree, with 123 degrees conferred in 2023-24 and a resident price of $10,617 a year in tuition and fees.
Best Criminal Justice Schools in Oregon for a Bachelor’s Degree
Oregon has 4 ranked bachelor’s programs, each scored on cost, graduate earnings, completion, online experience, track record and program reputation, with the cost taken at the resident’s rate. 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.
168.7
Criminology and Criminal Justice - Bachelor of Arts
Portland State offers its criminology and criminal justice bachelor's on campus in Portland, Oregon or through a fully online pathway, CCJ Online, where most courses run in an accelerated 5-week format.
180 quarter credits for the B.A., B.S. or B.A.S.
Students choose a campus pathway or the fully online CCJ Online pathway
Most CCJ Online courses run in a 5-week format
CCJ Online admission requires at least 30 quarter credit hours of transferable credit
The B.A.S. accepts up to 67 vocational credits from an approved A.A.S.
$291 a quarter credit, online rate
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Every version of the degree is 180 credits on PSU's quarter system. The campus pathway requires a minimum of 61 credits in the major and the online pathway a minimum of 69 CCJ credits, with required courses in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Policing in America, Punishment and Corrections, American Courts, Race, Crime and Criminal Justice, Theories of Crime, Crime Prevention and Control, Crime Analysis, Evidence-Based Justice and Criminal Law. Campus pathway classes mix in-person, hybrid and online formats, and some in-person classes are needed to graduate; CCJ Online has no required campus visits and no set login times.
PSU reviews applicants from accredited high schools for admission as first-year students, and students who declare the major are placed in the campus pathway unless they apply to CCJ Online, which asks for at least 30 quarter credit hours of transferable college credit, a college-level writing course and a 2.25 GPA, and charges the same tuition to in-state and out-of-state students for its courses. The Bachelor of Applied Science is designed for transfer students who hold an Associate of Applied Science degree in fields such as criminal justice, corrections or law enforcement, and accepts up to 67 vocational credits. Internships of 80 to 200 hours of field experience are optional.
Western Oregon University's Criminal Justice Sciences Division, where criminal justice teaching dates back to the late 1960s with a focus on corrections, offers both a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Applied Science in criminal justice.
A 76-credit criminal justice core
Courses on campus or in a hybrid format
The B.A.S. requires an A.A.S. or 60 quarter credits toward one
A 132-hour practicum in a field agency
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Both degrees build on a 76-credit criminal justice core that runs from Introduction to Criminal Justice and The Juvenile Justice System to Criminology and Corrections, and criminal justice majors complete a practicum of 132 hours in a field agency. Many required courses are offered online, but some coursework is offered only on campus in Monmouth, Oregon, so the division says the degrees can be completed on campus or in a hybrid format.
The Bachelor of Applied Science is for students who have completed an A.A.S. or other terminal, non-transfer associate degree, or at least 60 quarter credits toward one, and it is not open to traditional students who started at WOU or arrived with a transfer degree such as the AAOT. Students need an overall 2.67 GPA to take part in the practicum.
Southern Oregon University's criminology and criminal justice department awards the major as a BA or BS, and the university says the degree program offers a 100% online option.
71 credits in the major core curriculum
The degree is awarded as a BA or BS
A required internship with an agency of the student's choice
The degree program offers a 100% online option
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The major's core curriculum carries 71 credits across law, policing, theory and corrections. Every student completes a required internship with an agency of their choice and a capstone research project designed with the class professor. The department's office is in Ashland, Oregon, and SOU lists the major among its online undergraduate degrees.
The department says the major suits students with a strong interest in the field who want to serve at the local, state and federal level, and the major leaves room for a minor in another field. SOU names Klamath Community College's AAS in Criminal Justice under the major's associate degree paths, and its online degrees are aimed particularly at adult learners who work full-time.
Warner Pacific University's Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice is a 100% online degree-completion program for working adults, taught in five-week courses through its Professional and Graduate Studies division.
Fully online, in five-week courses
120 semester credits to graduate
Admission requires 48 to 60 prior semester credits and two years of full-time work experience
Rolling monthly start dates
$600 a credit
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The online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice runs in fully asynchronous courses that last five weeks each, with rolling monthly start dates. Criminal justice students complete 15 courses totaling 45 semester credits, including Criminology, The American Legal System, Professional Ethics in Criminal Justice, Restorative Justice and a required practicum, within the 120 semester credits needed to graduate.
Admission to the online degree requires 48 to 60 previously completed semester credits, at least two years of full-time work experience and a cumulative 2.0 GPA, so it is built for working adults who have already started college and want to finish a bachelor's degree. Credit is awarded for previous coursework, and students log in at least five out of seven days each week.
warnerpacific.edu
Associate Degree Programs in Oregon
At criminal justice schools in Oregon, associate degrees are the larger group: 4 associate’s programs rank, against 4 at the bachelor’s level. At $5,625 a year for residents, the median associate’s program is $772 above the national median of $4,853. Portland Community College leads the list, and it conferred 22 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.
PCC's Criminal Justice AAS pairs introductions to policing, courts, corrections and juvenile justice with courses such as Police Report Writing, Mental Health & the Law and Human Trafficking.
Minimum 90 credits
2 years attending full-time
The program is listed at PCC's Cascade Campus
Students take 21 credits of justice studies electives
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The Criminal Justice AAS Degree requires a minimum of 90 credits, including four general education courses. Required courses include Professions in Criminal Justice, Cultural Diversity in Criminal Justice Professions, introductions to the police, courts, corrections and juvenile justice, Arrest, Search and Seizure, Criminal Law, Mental Health & the Law, Constitutional Law for Criminal Justice, Police Report Writing, Tactical Communication in Crisis Incidents and Human Trafficking, plus 21 credits of justice studies electives.
Students need a C or P in prerequisite courses before taking CJA courses numbered 200 or higher. PCC lists the program at its Cascade Campus in Portland, Oregon, with a full-time length of 2 years, and says the program also serves working criminal justice professionals who want to complete a degree.
Chemeketa pairs a general Criminal Justice AAS, which it lists among its online degrees, with cohort-based Corrections and Law Enforcement AAS programs that each begin with a program application.
The Criminal Justice AAS is listed among Chemeketa Online degrees
The Law Enforcement AAS is a 7-term program meeting two days per week
The next Corrections cohort begins in Fall 2027
Each program requires a background check and drug screen on entry
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The Criminal Justice AAS focuses on the principles and organizational components of the wider criminal justice field, preparing students for work such as 911 telecommunications, control centers within correctional facilities and private and public security, and Chemeketa Online lists it among the degrees students can complete online. In the Corrections AAS, students spend most class time in hands-on training for the work of corrections officers and parole and probation officers and tour corrections facilities. The Law Enforcement AAS is a 7-term closed degree program with a two day per week commitment that prepares students to work as police officers, sheriff's deputies, state troopers or federal agents.
Students start the Criminal Justice AAS by enrolling at Chemeketa, taking the college's free placement tests and meeting with its Advising and First Year Programs staff. The Corrections and Law Enforcement programs begin with their own program applications, and the next Corrections cohort begins in Fall 2027. Each program requires students to pass a criminal background check and a ten-panel drug screen on entry.
Klamath Community College's Criminal Justice AAS covers police, courts and corrections, includes a cooperative work experience in criminal justice, and has a path geared to students who want a law enforcement career.
93 total credits on the curriculum map
Courses include Criminal Law and a course titled Arrest, Search and Seizure
Prior learning credit may be available for people working in related professions
The college also offers a one-year Criminal Justice Certificate
Read more
The Criminal Justice AAS curriculum map totals 93 credits. Courses include introductions to the police, courts and corrections, Criminal Law, Arrest, Search and Seizure, Criminal Investigation, Criminology, Interviewing & Interrogation and Narcotics & Dangerous Drugs, along with a cooperative work experience in criminal justice. The college says classes cover police dynamics, correctional systems, correctional interventions, substance abuse, psychological theory and certification standards.
The college says the AAS qualifies students for positions requiring a two-year degree in fields such as law enforcement and corrections, and may prepare them for transfer to a four-year college or university. Klamath Community College, in Klamath Falls, Oregon, says the program may provide prior learning credit for people previously or currently employed in related professions, and it also lists a Criminal Justice Certificate among its one-year certificates.
klamathcc.edu
Associate Program Ranked 4 in Oregon
Associate degree program in criminal justice ranked 4 in Oregon
Rank and school
In-state tuition and fees, a year
Completion
Graduates
Score
4
Linn-Benton Community College Albany, OR
$6,288
19%
10
35.5
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 Oregon
Master’s programs are scored on cost (22%), graduate earnings (22%), completion (17%), online experience (17%), track record (11%) and program reputation (11%). Among criminal justice schools in Oregon, Western Oregon University comes first of the 2, at $18,585 a year in graduate tuition and fees for residents. A resident’s graduate tuition and fees span $17,202 to $18,585 a year, with a median of $17,894 that is $6,461 above the $11,433 national median.
Master’s programs in criminal justice ranked in Oregon
Rank and school
In-state tuition and fees, a year
Completion
Graduates
Score
1
Western Oregon University Monmouth, OR
$18,585
58%
7
37.1
2
Portland State University Portland, OR
$17,202
57%
11
36.1
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 Oregon
If you’d rather study online, 4 programs at criminal justice schools in Oregon rank on the national online lists (1 at the associate’s level and 3 at the bachelor’s level), from 4 schools. 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, Portland State University is 32nd among 187 ranked online bachelor’s programs, the best placed of the 3 online bachelor’s programs at schools in Oregon.
Online criminal justice programs from schools in Oregon, 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 Oregon
The ranked bachelor’s programs charge residents anywhere from $10,617 a year (Portland State University) to $21,010 (Warner Pacific University) in tuition and fees. The median is $11,559, $2,625 below the national median of $14,184 for ranked bachelor’s programs.
Ranked criminal justice programs in Oregon: tuition and graduation rate by level
Level
Ranked programs
Median tuition and fees, a year
Lowest to highest
Median graduation rate
Bachelor’s programs
4
$11,559
$10,617 to $21,010
49%
Associate’s programs
4
$5,625
$4,857 to $6,288
24%
Master’s programs
2
$17,894
$17,202 to $18,585
Median bachelor’s tuition runs $11,025 at public colleges and $21,010 at private nonprofit colleges.
A student from another state pays $28,257 a year at Portland State University, $17,640 above the resident price.
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 Oregon Requires to Become a Police Officer
Oregon requires a high school diploma, a GED or a four-year degree from an accredited college. That minimum comes from the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST). In this rule, law enforcement officer includes police, corrections, and parole and probation officers, so Oregon probation and parole officers share the same minimum.
“(a) Applicants for the position of a law enforcement officer will be required to furnish documentary evidence of one of the following: (A) High School diploma; (B) Successful completion of the General Educational Development (GED) Test; or (C) A four-year, post-secondary degree issued by an accredited, degree-granting college or university recognized by the Oregon Office of Degree Authorization under the provisions of ORS 348.604.”
Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST), OAR 259-008-0010(7), read October 7, 2026: secure.sos.state.or.us
A high school diploma or its equivalent meets the state minimum, so a degree isn’t required. Hiring departments can set a higher bar, and BLS notes 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 Oregon
Patrol officers (SOC 33-3051) in Oregon earn a median $88,140 a year, $11,930 above the national median of $76,210. Among the 51 states and districts BLS reports, it ranks tenth from the top, with 5,030 people in the job. The lowest-paid tenth earn $66,380 or less, and the highest-paid tenth earn $109,350 or more.
Detectives and criminal investigators (SOC 33-3021) are the best paid of the four jobs in Oregon ($107,450); correctional officers and jailers (SOC 33-3012) are the lowest ($83,690). Oregon pays above the national median for all of them; the widest gap is for correctional officers and jailers (SOC 33-3012), $24,750 above the national median of $58,940.
Median annual pay for four criminal justice jobs in Oregon and nationally, May 2025
Questions About Criminal Justice Degrees in Oregon
What Are the Best Criminal Justice Schools in Oregon?
The bachelor’s list of 4 ranked bachelor’s programs in Oregon is led by Portland State University, then Western Oregon University and Southern Oregon University. For an associate degree, Portland Community College leads 4 ranked associate’s programs in Oregon. For a master’s degree, Western Oregon University leads 2 ranked master’s programs in Oregon. 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 Oregon?
Costs depend on the level. In 2023-24 tuition and required fees for a full-time resident came to a median $5,625 at the associate’s programs ($4,857 to $6,288), $11,559 at the bachelor’s programs ($10,617 to $21,010) and $17,894 at the master’s programs ($17,202 to $18,585). The national median for a ranked bachelor’s program is $14,184.
What Does Oregon Require of New Police Officers?
A degree is not part of the minimum the rule sets. Oregon requires a high school diploma, a GED or a four-year degree from an accredited college. In this rule, law enforcement officer includes police, corrections, and parole and probation officers, so Oregon probation and parole officers share the same minimum. 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 Oregon?
A patrol officer (SOC 33-3051) in Oregon earns a median $88,140 a year, $11,930 above the national median of $76,210. In the same place, detectives and criminal investigators (SOC 33-3021) earn $107,450 and correctional officers and jailers (SOC 33-3012) $83,690. Figures are May 2025 BLS medians.
Can You Earn a Criminal Justice Degree Online From a School in Oregon?
Yes. 4 programs at 4 schools in Oregon 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 Oregon
Beyond the ranked programs above, 8 more criminal justice schools in Oregon conferred criminal justice degrees in 2023-24. They’re listed here with the levels they confer and their federal figures, the school with the most degrees first. 7 of them confer associate’s degrees, the most common level in this list. 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 Oregon with criminal justice degrees, by degrees conferred
School
Type
Degrees conferred, 2023-24
In-state tuition and fees, a year
Graduation rate
Rogue Community College Grants Pass, OR
Public
Associate’s 9
$5,184
12%
Corban University Salem, OR
Private nonprofit
Bachelor’s 4 · Master’s 2
$37,208
61%
Central Oregon Community College Bend, OR
Public
Associate’s 4
$6,705
25%
Clackamas Community College Oregon City, OR
Public
Associate’s 4
$6,210
22%
Lane Community College Eugene, OR
Public
Associate’s 4
$5,879
22%
Blue Mountain Community College Pendleton, OR
Public
Associate’s 2
$6,941
23%
Treasure Valley Community College Ontario, OR
Public
Associate’s 2
$5,748
27%
Umpqua Community College Roseburg, OR
Public
Associate’s 1
$5,909
32%
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 Oregon
Nearby pages, starting with two from the West, Oregon’s Census region, each with a figure from its own state.
Sources for the Oregon 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.
