Wyoming has 7 ranked programs at 7 schools, a compact field. On this ranking of criminal justice schools in Wyoming, University of Wyoming is first for a bachelor’s degree. A resident pays $6,938 a year in tuition and fees, and 68 students earned the degree in 2023-24.
Best Criminal Justice Schools in Wyoming for a Bachelor’s Degree
Wyoming has 1 ranked bachelor’s program, scored on cost (22%), graduate earnings (22%), completion (17%), online experience (17%), track record (11%) and program reputation (11%) with 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 University of Wyoming's criminal justice and criminology degree draws on several social sciences, and its Urban Justice class travels to Chicago, Illinois, to visit a state penitentiary.
120 credits, 42 of them upper-division
The program is offered on the Laramie, Wyoming campus, at UW Casper in Casper, Wyoming, and online
The program page describes the online route as a completion degree
A pre-law concentration is available
Read more
The B.A. in Criminal Justice and Criminology requires 120 credits, 42 of them upper-division, and draws on criminology, political science, sociology, psychology and anthropology. Foundation courses on the university's transfer guide include Introduction to Criminal Justice, Criminal Law, Criminology, Research Methods, Issues in Policing and Ethics in Administration of Justice, each completed with a C or better, and students can earn credit hours through internships. A pre-law concentration is available for students preparing for law school.
UW lists the program at its Laramie, Wyoming campus, at UW Casper in Casper, Wyoming, online and in a hybrid format, and the program page says the degree can be earned on campus or as a completion degree through UW's online program. First-time students apply through UW's general admission, where assured admission requires a cumulative high school GPA of 3.00 to 4.00.
uwyo.edu
Associate Degree Programs in Wyoming
At criminal justice schools in Wyoming, associate degrees are the larger group: 6 associate’s programs rank, against 1 at the bachelor’s level. At $4,647 a year for residents, the median associate’s program is $206 below the national median of $4,853. Northern Wyoming Community College District leads the list, and it conferred 11 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 3 more follow in a table.
Sheridan College offers criminal justice both as an Associate of Arts that surveys the whole system and as a Law Enforcement Associate of Applied Science, and it lists criminal justice among its online degrees.
Two degree options: an Associate of Arts and a Law Enforcement AAS
Criminal justice is also available online
Internships come through partner law enforcement agencies and correctional facilities
The Law Enforcement AAS explores the police officer's role as a crisis manager
Read more
The Criminal Justice Associate of Arts covers all aspects of the criminal justice system, with courses such as Law Enforcement Operations, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Criminology. The Criminal Justice: Law Enforcement AAS focuses on the agencies that maintain public order and enforce the law, including crime prevention, investigation and the apprehension of offenders, and explores the police officer's role as a crisis manager; its courses include Criminal Investigation, Criminal Law, Criminology and Judicial Functions. The program page says criminal justice is also available online, and the college's online programs page lists Criminal Justice among its online degrees.
Sheridan College says the program prepares students to transfer into bachelor's degree programs, and it partners with law enforcement agencies and correctional facilities for hands-on learning and internships. The college is in Sheridan, Wyoming.
LCCC's criminal justice Associate of Arts gives students the chance to take a practical crime scene class, join ride-alongs with law enforcement and visit a correctional institution.
The program is offered at the Cheyenne, Wyoming main campus and online
The credential earned is an Associate of Arts
Coursework covers law enforcement, courts and corrections
Students can join ride-alongs with law enforcement
Read more
The criminal justice Associate of Arts covers the American criminal justice system (law enforcement, courts and corrections) along with the basics of criminal law, criminology and juvenile justice, plus general education courses. Students can take a practical crime scene class, ride along with law enforcement and visit a correctional institution. The college says the program is available at its main campus in Cheyenne, Wyoming and online.
The program is aimed at careers in two areas, corrections and law, and the college says graduates should continue their education at a four-year university. Its corrections portion is meant to prepare students for a bachelor's degree and for roles such as juvenile officer, parole agent and adult probation officer, and LCCC describes the program as a popular base for prelaw students.
Casper College offers criminal justice as an Associate of Arts built to transfer into the University of Wyoming's bachelor's program and as an Associate of Applied Science, and it lists the delivery format for both as in-person and online.
60 total credits for either degree
Each degree takes 2 years of full-time study
The delivery format for both degrees is in-person and online, with 70%+ online options
The college admits all high school graduates
The A.A. is designed to transfer to the University of Wyoming
Read more
Casper College's criminal justice program covers police systems, correctional institutions and the judiciary, and its stated learning outcomes include interviewing and interrogation, report writing, criminal justice research and community-oriented policing. The Associate of Arts and the Associate of Applied Science each total 60 credits and take 2 years of full-time study, and the college gives the delivery format for both as in-person and online, with 70%+ online options.
Casper College says its admission criteria allow all high school graduates admission, and there is no application fee. The A.A. is designed for transfer to the University of Wyoming's bachelor's program, while A.A.S. graduates can apply their credits toward the University of Wyoming's online Bachelor of Applied Science in Organizational Leadership. The campus is in Casper, Wyoming.
caspercollege.edu
Associate Programs Ranked 4-6 in Wyoming
Associate degree programs in criminal justice ranked 4 to 6 in Wyoming
Rank and school
In-state tuition and fees, a year
Completion
Graduates
Score
4
Central Wyoming College Riverton, WY
$4,680
45%
6
44.1
5
Western Wyoming Community College Rock Springs, WY
$4,250
36%
5
40.0
6
Northwest College Powell, WY
$4,935
42%
6
38.5
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 Wyoming
Online study is an option at criminal justice schools in Wyoming: 3 programs rank on the national online lists (2 at the associate’s level and 1 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. On the national online bachelor’s list of 187 programs, University of Wyoming places 80th.
Online criminal justice programs from schools in Wyoming, 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 Wyoming
Western Wyoming Community College is the least expensive way to earn an associate degree here at $4,250 a year for a resident, and Northwest College the most, at $4,935. The median is $4,647, $206 below the national median of $4,853 for ranked associate’s programs.
Ranked criminal justice programs in Wyoming: tuition and graduation rate by level
Level
Ranked programs
Median tuition and fees, a year
Lowest to highest
Median graduation rate
Bachelor’s programs
1
$6,938
$6,938
60%
Associate’s programs
6
$4,647
$4,250 to $4,935
40%
A student from another state pays $22,718 a year at University of Wyoming, $15,780 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 Wyoming Requires to Become a Police Officer
Police education in Wyoming is set by the Wyoming Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST). Wyoming requires a high school diploma or evidence of equivalent achievement.
“(v) Hold a high school diploma or evidence of an equivalent achievement;”
Wyoming Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST), W.S. 9-1-704(b)(v), read October 7, 2026: wyoleg.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 Wyoming
Patrol officers (SOC 33-3051) in Wyoming earn a median $66,140 a year, $10,070 below the national median of $76,210. Among the 51 states and districts BLS reports, it ranks 36th from the top, with 1,310 people in the job. The lowest-paid tenth earn $57,130 or less, and the highest-paid tenth earn $76,840 or more.
Within Wyoming, the median runs from $54,780 for correctional officers and jailers (SOC 33-3012) up to $81,880 for detectives and criminal investigators (SOC 33-3021). Wyoming pays below the national median for all of them; the widest gap is for detectives and criminal investigators (SOC 33-3021), $11,910 below the national median of $93,790.
Median annual pay for four criminal justice jobs in Wyoming 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 Wyoming
What Are the Best Criminal Justice Schools in Wyoming?
University of Wyoming ranks first for a bachelor’s degree; Wyoming has 1 ranked bachelor’s program in all. For an associate degree, Northern Wyoming Community College District leads 6 ranked associate’s programs in Wyoming. 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 Wyoming?
For a full-time year of tuition and required fees in 2023-24, a resident’s median at criminal justice schools in Wyoming is $4,647 at the associate’s programs ($4,250 to $4,935) and $6,938 at its ranked bachelor’s program. The national median for a ranked bachelor’s program is $14,184.
What Does Wyoming Require of New Police Officers?
A degree is not part of the minimum the rule sets. Wyoming requires a high school diploma or evidence of equivalent achievement. 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 Wyoming?
A patrol officer (SOC 33-3051) in Wyoming earns a median $66,140 a year, $10,070 below the national median of $76,210. In the same place, detectives and criminal investigators (SOC 33-3021) earn $81,880 and correctional officers and jailers (SOC 33-3012) $54,780. Figures are May 2025 BLS medians.
Can You Earn a Criminal Justice Degree Online From a School in Wyoming?
Yes. 3 programs at 3 schools in Wyoming 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 Wyoming
One more school in Wyoming, Eastern Wyoming College, conferred criminal justice degrees in 2023-24. It’s listed with the levels it confers and its federal figures. 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 Wyoming with criminal justice degrees, by degrees conferred
School
Type
Degrees conferred, 2023-24
In-state tuition and fees, a year
Graduation rate
Eastern Wyoming College Torrington, WY
Public
Associate’s 2
$4,290
51%
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 Wyoming
Nearby pages, starting with two from the West, Wyoming’s Census region, each with a figure from its own state.
Sources for the Wyoming 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.
