Criminal justice programs in Massachusetts

1 criminal justice program with costs, results and funding that can make it free

One school offers this criminal justice program, and Massachusetts has approved it for workforce funding. It shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Police officers protect lives and property, and detectives gather facts and collect evidence of possible crimes. The education needed ranges from a high school diploma to a college degree, and new officers usually attend a training academy before they start.¹

In Massachusetts, the one program takes students without a high school diploma.

See the program

How much do criminal justice programs cost in Massachusetts?

$14,035

is what this program costs if you pay yourself

This program

Finished the program: Not reported; The program doesn't report it
Working 6 months later: Not reported; The program doesn't report it
Earned a year, estimated: Not reported; The program doesn't report it
Length: 80 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Massachusetts may also offer criminal justice programs. How these figures are made

Are there free criminal justice programs in Massachusetts?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for the program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴For a degree, the job center first looks at grants such as a federal Pell Grant; WIOA pays toward what they don't cover.⁴
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. The one program with a price costs $14,035.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

The one criminal justice program in Massachusetts approved for WIOA funding

1 program

Criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree)In personNo diploma needed
Criminal Justice (AS)
Holyoke Community College
Holyoke
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Holyoke Community College, HolyokeCriminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$14,035
School website, Criminal Justice (AS) at Holyoke Community College
More details about Criminal Justice (AS) at Holyoke Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
80 weeks, 20 hours a week
Cost of supplies
$8,000
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$14,035
School website, Criminal Justice (AS) at Holyoke Community College

How to pay for criminal justice programs in Massachusetts

WIOA funding can pay for criminal justice programs in Massachusetts

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for criminal justice programs

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁶⁷

GI Bill for criminal justice programs

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁸

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Other training in Massachusetts

How criminal justice programs compare with the rest of public safety: First responder training in Massachusetts

Where the Massachusetts criminal justice program numbers come from

Which Massachusetts criminal justice programs are on this list?

These are the criminal justice programs Massachusetts approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).⁹ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Massachusetts offers.

How the prices and results of Massachusetts criminal justice programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about criminal justice programs in Massachusetts

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources

Nursing and patient care

Medical office and lab

General healthcare

Skilled trades

Transportation and logistics

Computers and IT

Business and office

Beauty and personal care

Public safety

Food and hospitality

Education and social services