West Virginia has more than twice as many ranked bachelor’s programs as ranked associate’s programs: 12 against 6. American Public University System leads the criminal justice schools in West Virginia for a bachelor’s degree, with 446 degrees conferred in 2023-24 and a resident price of $8,400 a year in tuition and fees. In total West Virginia has 22 ranked programs: 6 associate’s, 12 bachelor’s and 4 master’s.
Best Criminal Justice Schools in West Virginia for a Bachelor’s Degree
West Virginia has 12 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. The first 5 have cards below, and 7 more follow in a table.
APU offers both an online Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice with General, Entrepreneurship, Maritime Law Enforcement and Organizational Law Enforcement Leadership concentrations, and an online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice built around a Digital Forensics concentration.
120 semester hours for each degree
Both degrees are offered online, with courses that start monthly
Fairmont State's Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice is offered both on campus and fully online, around a criminal justice core and a wide choice of electives.
The online program sheet lists 120 hours for the degree
Offered on campus and fully online
Students declare the major at orientation, with no separate application
Social and behavioral science electives come from at least three disciplines
$4,600 a term, in-state rate
Read more
Fairmont State's online program sheet says students must complete 120 hours for the degree. Required criminal justice courses include Intro to Criminal Justice, Police Operations, Principles of Criminal Law, Intro to Corrections, Adjudication Process, Cybercrime, Ethics in CJ, Criminology, Criminal Procedure, Victimology, Research in Social Sciences and Evaluation of CJ System, followed by criminal justice electives, social and behavioral science courses chosen from at least three disciplines, and free electives. The university says the degree is available both on campus and fully online.
There is no separate application to the major: students admitted to Fairmont State declare it at orientation with an academic advisor, and new applicants send an official high school transcript or GED/TASC. The university says the degree can typically be completed in four years for full-time students, and that the tuition it publishes for the program is for in-state students, while out-of-state and online tuition rates vary.
Marshall's Criminal Justice, B.A. builds on a core of criminal law and procedure, research methods, theoretical criminology and a senior seminar, with optional emphases in corrections, law enforcement or legal studies.
The catalog's semester plan totals 120 credit hours
Optional emphases: Corrections, Law Enforcement, Legal Studies
The College of Science requires 40 hours of upper-level credit
An accelerated path leads into the master's degree in criminal justice
Read more
The catalog's semester plan totals 120 credit hours. Major courses include Intro to Criminal Justice, an introductory course in law enforcement, criminal courts or corrections, CJ Research Methods, Criminal Law & Procedure, Theoretical Criminology and Senior Seminar, along with Intro to Forensic Science, upper-level criminal justice electives and free electives, and the College of Science requires 40 hours of upper-level credit. Students who skip an emphasis take both Intro to Law Enforcement and Intro to Corrections and choose criminal justice electives to complete the 18 hours of CJ electives.
Marshall admits high school graduates who have not yet enrolled in college as first-time freshmen, and the catalog plan opens with a freshman first-semester class. The catalog encourages an internship in the area of emphasis the summer before senior year, with approval from the department chair, and the program page points to internship opportunities at the local and state level in West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio. Eligible students can begin graduate work early through the Accelerated Master's Degree in Criminal Justice.
Shepherd University's Criminal Justice, B.A. has two concentrations, Forensics and Law Enforcement and Administration, and its department says its majors complete an internship or scientific research as part of the senior thesis capstone.
Concentrations: Forensics, Law Enforcement and Administration
The department says its majors complete an internship or research in the senior thesis capstone
The department offers courses face to face, online, live-streamed and Hyflex
The Department of Social and Applied Behavioral Sciences offers the degree
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The B.A. is offered by the Department of Social and Applied Behavioral Sciences in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences. The Forensics Concentration covers forensic science applications and investigations, crime scene procedures, and methods of tracking and solving crime, while the Law Enforcement and Administration Concentration prepares students for work in policing, corrections, security, immigration, criminal investigation, rehabilitation counseling and data analysis. The department offers courses face to face, online asynchronous, synchronous with live streaming, and in a Hyflex format that lets students choose how they attend.
Shepherd admits first-time freshmen who recently graduated from high school or earned a GED, with an official high school transcript or GED/TASC/HiSET scores. The department's majors and minors page, which covers the B.A. in Criminal Justice, says its majors are required to complete experiential learning through either an internship or scientific research as part of the senior thesis capstone.
WVU Tech's Criminal Justice, B.S. finishes with a semester-long capstone practicum internship and lets students add a law enforcement or corrections area of emphasis.
120 credit hours
Areas of emphasis in corrections and law enforcement
The degree ends with a semester-long capstone practicum internship
A grade of C or better is required in all CJ and CRIM coursework
Read more
The Criminal Justice, B.S. totals 120 credit hours. Its 45 hours of major requirements include Introduction to Criminal Justice, Principles of Criminal Law, Law Enforcement Administration, Courts and Judicial Systems, Drugs, Crime and Society, Ethics/Criminal Justice System, Criminology, Deviant Behavior and Gender and Crime, plus restricted electives in CJ, CRIM, FNRX or SOC, and the program requirements add psychology, sociology, social research methods, technical writing and a 6-credit practicum capstone internship. The corrections emphasis adds Juvenile Justice, Correctional Counseling, Community Based Corrections and Social Problems in Contemporary America, and the law enforcement emphasis adds Juvenile Justice, Drugs, Crime and Society, Criminal Investigations and Terrorism and National Security.
Freshman applicants send the WVU Tech application, a final high school transcript and ACT or SAT scores. The school says the program prepares students for local, state and federal law enforcement, corrections, courts, homeland security and investigation careers, and gives a background for graduate study or law school. A grade of C or better is required in all CJ and CRIM coursework.
wvutech.edu
Bachelor’s Programs Ranked 6-12 in West Virginia
Bachelor’s programs in criminal justice ranked 6 to 12 in West Virginia
Rank and school
In-state tuition and fees, a year
Completion
Graduates
Score
6
Salem University Salem, WV
$10,750
53%
15
50.8
7
West Virginia State University Institute, WV
$9,499
53%
34
49.9
8
Bluefield State University Bluefield, WV
$10,240
58%
10
42.1
9
West Liberty University West Liberty, WV
$8,732
34%
10
27.9
10
Wheeling University Wheeling, WV
$29,475
0%
5
26.6
11
West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, WV
$33,494
29%
15
25.7
12
Bethany College Bethany, WV
$34,126
0%
6
14.8
Tuition and fees are 2023-24 IPEDS figures; school prices were read between October 7, 2026 and October 14, 2026.
Associate Degree Programs in West Virginia
For a two-year start, criminal justice schools in West Virginia offer 6 ranked associate’s programs. A resident pays a median $4,992 a year in tuition and fees, close to the national median of $4,853. American Public University System ranks first and conferred 134 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 3 more follow in a table.
APU's online associate degree in criminal justice runs in monthly-start courses with no set login times and closes with the Criminal Justice Sophomore Seminar, an approved project or paper.
60 semester hours
The program is online, with courses that start monthly
West Virginia Northern Community College offers its Criminal Justice, A.A.S. on campus or completely online, and its Field Service course has students carry out assigned duties at an agency during a 120 contact hour onsite field experience.
61 to 62 credits
The program is offered on campus or completely online
The Field Service course includes a 120 contact hour onsite field experience at an agency
Admission follows an open door policy, with regular admission for anyone who has a high school diploma or the equivalent
Ohio residents may attend at West Virginia's in-state tuition rates
Read more
The catalog plan totals 61 to 62 credits. Required criminal justice courses include Introduction to Criminal Justice Systems, Introduction to Juvenile Justice System, Introduction to Corrections, Criminal Law, Terrorism and Homeland Security, Criminology, Criminal Procedure, Ethics in Criminal Justice and Field Service, and restricted electives are chosen from a list of CRJ courses; the plan also includes courses such as College Composition I, Introduction to Psychology and American National Government and Politics. The catalog says the program is offered in two formats, a traditional on-campus experience or a completely online experience, and the Field Service course includes a 120 contact hour onsite field experience, approximately eight hours a week for 15 weeks, in which students perform assigned duties at an agency suited to their field of interest.
West Virginia Northern Community College follows an open door admission policy and admits as a regular student anyone who has a high school diploma or the equivalent, and Ohio residents may attend at West Virginia's in-state tuition rates. For students who plan to finish a four-year criminal justice degree, the catalog lists transfer options at colleges including Fairmont State University, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio University, Robert Morris University, Salem University and West Liberty University, and it recommends College Algebra (MATH 108) or Introduction to Statistics (MATH 210) for students planning to transfer.
Blue Ridge CTC lists its Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice in on-campus, hybrid and online formats, with concentrations in community corrections management, criminology, victim services and strategic studies.
60 credit hours
Formats: on campus, hybrid and online
Admission requires a high school diploma or equivalent
The A.A.S. offers concentrations in Community Corrections Management, Criminology, Victim Services and Strategic Studies
Read more
The A.A.S. lists 60 credit hours and covers the foundations of the American criminal justice system along with abnormal psychology and crisis intervention, through courses such as Social Problems, Social Psychology of Substance Use, Crisis Intervention, Leadership, Community Corrections, Criminal Investigations and Criminal Profiling. Students learn to analyze digital evidence, including mobile devices, and build a capstone professional portfolio aimed at their preferred area of interest. The college lists on-campus, hybrid and online formats.
Admission requires a high school diploma or equivalent and a complete application packet, and students with credits from other colleges send official transcripts; ACT or SAT scores are not required for the program, though placement testing may apply to courses such as English or math. The college says credits from the degree can transfer toward a bachelor's program, and its concentration pages say students can earn credit for prior learning in the Criminal Justice Program by turning professional experience into college credits.
blueridgectc.edu
Associate Programs Ranked 4-6 in West Virginia
Associate degree programs in criminal justice ranked 4 to 6 in West Virginia
Rank and school
In-state tuition and fees, a year
Completion
Graduates
Score
4
West Virginia University at Parkersburg Parkersburg, WV
$5,248
47%
19
44.0
5
Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College Logan, WV
$4,944
31%
5
43.0
6
Potomac State College of West Virginia University Keyser, WV
$5,040
35%
10
31.7
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 West Virginia
Graduate study at criminal justice schools in West Virginia comes to 4 ranked master’s programs, scored on cost (22%), graduate earnings (22%), completion (17%), online experience (17%), track record (11%) and program reputation (11%). American Public University System ranks first, at $8,160 a year in graduate tuition and fees for a resident. Graduate tuition and fees for a resident have a median of $9,881 a year, $1,552 below the national median of $11,433 for ranked master’s programs, and run from $8,160 to $12,070.
Master’s programs in criminal justice ranked in West Virginia
Rank and school
In-state tuition and fees, a year
Completion
Graduates
Format
Score
1
American Public University System Charles Town, WV
$8,160
42%
132
Online
69.6
2
Fairmont State University Fairmont, WV
$9,744
62%
9
48.9
3
Salem University Salem, WV
$12,070
53%
23
Online
45.9
4
West Virginia State University Institute, WV
$10,018
53%
5
35.3
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 West Virginia
If you’d rather study online, 8 programs at criminal justice schools in West Virginia rank on the national online lists (3 at the associate’s level, 3 at the bachelor’s level and 2 at the master’s level), from 5 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. American Public University System ranks sixth of the 187 ranked online bachelor’s programs, the best placed of the 3 online bachelor’s programs at schools in West Virginia.
Online criminal justice programs from schools in West Virginia, 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 West Virginia
For a bachelor’s degree, a resident pays $8,064 a year at West Virginia University Institute of Technology or $34,126 at Bethany College, in tuition and required fees. The median is $9,221, $4,963 below the national median of $14,184 for ranked bachelor’s programs.
Ranked criminal justice programs in West Virginia: tuition and graduation rate by level
Level
Ranked programs
Median tuition and fees, a year
Lowest to highest
Median graduation rate
Bachelor’s programs
12
$9,221
$8,064 to $34,126
47%
Associate’s programs
6
$4,992
$4,344 to $8,400
31%
Master’s programs
4
$9,881
$8,160 to $12,070
By type of school, the median bachelor’s program charges $8,732 at public colleges, $33,494 at private nonprofit colleges and $9,575 at for-profit 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 West Virginia Requires to Become a Police Officer
The West Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Subcommittee (Governor's Committee on Crime, Delinquency and Correction) sets the education minimum for police officers in West Virginia. West Virginia requires a high school diploma or the equivalent.
“(2) The person is a high school graduate or equivalent;”
West Virginia Law Enforcement Professional Standards Subcommittee (Governor's Committee on Crime, Delinquency and Correction), W. Va. Code section 30-29-14(a)(2), read October 7, 2026: code.wvlegislature.gov
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 West Virginia
BLS puts West Virginia’s patrol officer (SOC 33-3051) median at $56,960, $19,250 below the $76,210 national figure. That is the 47th highest of the 51 states and districts BLS reports, and 2,900 people hold the job. The lowest-paid tenth earn $41,950 or less, and the highest-paid tenth earn $69,980 or more.
Detectives and criminal investigators (SOC 33-3021) are the best paid of the four jobs in West Virginia ($92,410); correctional officers and jailers (SOC 33-3012) are the lowest ($52,890). West Virginia pays below the national median for all of them; the widest gap is for patrol officers (SOC 33-3051), $19,250 below the national median of $76,210.
Median annual pay for four criminal justice jobs in West Virginia 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 West Virginia
What Are the Best Criminal Justice Schools in West Virginia?
American Public University System ranks first for a bachelor’s degree, ahead of Fairmont State University and Marshall University; West Virginia has 12 ranked bachelor’s programs in all. For an associate degree, American Public University System leads 6 ranked associate’s programs in West Virginia. For a master’s degree, American Public University System leads 4 ranked master’s programs in West Virginia. 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 West Virginia?
Costs depend on the level. In 2023-24 tuition and required fees for a full-time resident came to a median $4,992 at the associate’s programs ($4,344 to $8,400), $9,221 at the bachelor’s programs ($8,064 to $34,126) and $9,881 at the master’s programs ($8,160 to $12,070). The national median for a ranked bachelor’s program is $14,184.
What Does West Virginia Require of New Police Officers?
A degree is not part of the minimum the rule sets. West Virginia requires a high school diploma or the equivalent. A degree is not a peace officer license, and departments can ask for more than the minimum. The guide to degrees and police work sets this rule beside all 47 state and district rules.
What Do Police Officers Earn in West Virginia?
BLS puts the median for patrol officers (SOC 33-3051) in West Virginia at $56,960 a year, $19,250 below the national median of $76,210. There, detectives and criminal investigators (SOC 33-3021) earn $92,410 and correctional officers and jailers (SOC 33-3012) $52,890. These are May 2025 medians.
Can You Earn a Criminal Justice Degree Online From a School in West Virginia?
Yes. 8 programs at 5 schools in West Virginia 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 West Virginia
Beyond the ranked programs above, 7 more criminal justice schools in West Virginia 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. The most common level here is the associate’s, conferred by 6. 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 West Virginia with criminal justice degrees, by degrees conferred
School
Type
Degrees conferred, 2023-24
In-state tuition and fees, a year
Graduation rate
Pierpont Community and Technical College Fairmont, WV
Public
Associate’s 4
$5,594
39%
Strayer University-West Virginia Scott Depot, WV
Private for-profit
Bachelor’s 4
$13,920
50%
BridgeValley Community & Technical College South Charleston, WV
Public
Associate’s 3
$5,282
27%
New River Community and Technical College Beaver, WV
Public
Associate’s 3
$5,158
30%
Davis & Elkins College Elkins, WV
Private nonprofit
Associate’s 2
$31,270
37%
Mountwest Community and Technical College Huntington, WV
Public
Associate’s 2
$4,818
17%
Glenville State University Glenville, WV
Public
Associate’s 1
$9,412
35%
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 West Virginia
Nearby pages, starting with two from the South, West Virginia’s Census region, each with a figure from its own state.
Sources for the West Virginia 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.
