Criminal justice programs in Minnesota

26 criminal justice programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

17 schools offer these criminal justice programs, and Minnesota has approved every one for workforce funding. Each 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 Minnesota, all 26 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 26 programs here are criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree, 23 programs), criminal justice certificate (1 program), law enforcement and investigation certificate (1 program) and corrections certificate (1 program).

See the 26 programs

How much do criminal justice programs cost in Minnesota?

Two-year degrees (23 programs): $10,140 to $11,560most of them, usually 120 weeks long
Other criminal justice programs (3 programs): $1,985 to $4,424all 3 with a price

What you pay yourself for the whole program, as the schools report it. "Most" is the middle half of the programs with a price.

In the typical program

Finished the program: 33%
Working 6 months later: 79%
Earned a year, estimated: about $29,200
Length: 120 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 Minnesota may also offer criminal justice programs. How these figures are made

Are there free criminal justice programs in Minnesota?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any 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. Two-year degrees here mostly cost $10,140 to $11,560.Other criminal justice programs here cost $1,985 to $4,424.

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

How to pay for criminal justice programs in Minnesota

WIOA funding can pay for criminal justice programs in Minnesota

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.

Quick facts: Criminal justice programs in Minnesota

programs with a price cost under $10,000: 8 of 25
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare: 19th of 24
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less: 5 of 16
criminal justice programs here, against the typical state's 8: 26 vs 8

State comparisons use the same figures as the criminal justice programs by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Criminal justice programs in Minneapolis, Duluth, Brainerd and other Minnesota cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 2 more programs are in 2 other areas, 3 in smaller cities and towns and 2 online.

Other training in Minnesota

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

Where the Minnesota criminal justice program numbers come from

Which Minnesota criminal justice programs are on this list?

These are the criminal justice programs Minnesota 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 Minnesota offers.

How the prices and results of Minnesota 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 Minnesota

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Criminal justice programs in Minnesota

How much do criminal justice programs cost in Minnesota?

Are there free criminal justice programs in Minnesota?

All 26 criminal justice programs in Minnesota approved for WIOA funding