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Criminal justice programs in Pennsylvania

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

7 schools offer these criminal justice programs, and Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania, 6 of the 7 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent and 1 asks for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 7 programs here are criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree, 6 programs) and criminal justice certificate (1 program).

See the 7 programs

How much do criminal justice programs cost in Pennsylvania?

Two-year degrees (6 programs)
$16,776 to $23,326most of them, usually 60 to 69 weeks long
Other criminal justice programs (1 program)
$6,500the one 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
74%
Working 6 months later
Left out
Pennsylvania's rates sit far below every other state's
Earned a year, estimated
Not enough data
2 programs report it; a typical figure needs 5
Length
60 to 66 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 Pennsylvania may also offer criminal justice programs. How these figures are made

Are there free criminal justice programs in Pennsylvania?

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

All 7 criminal justice programs in Pennsylvania approved for WIOA funding

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Kind of program
School
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7 programs

  • Criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree)OnlineHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Criminal Justice Associate in Applied Science

    Northampton Community College

    Based in Tannersville, PA

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Northampton Community College, based in Tannersville, PACriminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolOnline · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$20,000
    Price if you pay yourself$21,203
    School website, Criminal Justice Associate in Applied Science at Northampton Community College
    More details about Criminal Justice Associate in Applied Science at Northampton Community College
    Finished
    55%
    Working at 6 months
    Left out
    Earned in a quarter
    $5,000
    Length
    60 weeks, 14 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $4,478
    Students counted
    372
    Earned a year, estimated
    $20,000
    Price if you pay yourself
    $21,203
    School website, Criminal Justice Associate in Applied Science at Northampton Community College

  • Criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree)HybridEducation and courses

    Criminal Justice and Criminology Associate Degree

    Community College Allegheny County

    Pittsburgh

    Accredited school

    Education and courses

    Community College Allegheny County, PittsburghCriminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolHybrid · Education and courses

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$10,577
    Program website, Criminal Justice and Criminology Associate Degree at Community College Allegheny County
    More details about Criminal Justice and Criminology Associate Degree at Community College Allegheny County
    Finished
    100%
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    60 weeks, 16 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $3,250
    Students counted
    97
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $10,577
    Program website, Criminal Justice and Criminology Associate Degree at Community College Allegheny County

  • Criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Criminal Justice

    Community College Of Beaver County

    Monaca

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Community College Of Beaver County, MonacaCriminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimated$36,600
    Price if you pay yourself$15,800
    Program website, Criminal Justice at Community College Of Beaver County
    More details about Criminal Justice at Community College Of Beaver County
    Finished
    27%
    Working at 6 months
    Left out
    Earned in a quarter
    $9,139
    Length
    104 weeks, 10 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $3,200
    Students counted
    91
    Earned a year, estimated
    $36,600
    Price if you pay yourself
    $15,800
    Program website, Criminal Justice at Community College Of Beaver County

  • Criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree)OnlineHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Criminal Justice

    Pennsylvania Highlands Community College

    Based in Altoona, PA

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, based in Altoona, PACriminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolOnline · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$19,703
    Program website, Criminal Justice at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
    More details about Criminal Justice at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
    Finished
    100%
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    60 weeks, 15 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $5,476
    Students counted
    37
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $19,703
    Program website, Criminal Justice at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College

  • Criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree)OnlineHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Criminal Justice

    South Hills School of Business & Technology

    Based in State College, PA

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    South Hills School of Business & Technology, based in State College, PACriminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolOnline · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$36,000
    School website, Criminal Justice at South Hills School of Business & Technology
    More details about Criminal Justice at South Hills School of Business & Technology
    Finished
    74%
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    72 weeks, 25 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $3,884
    Students counted
    30
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $36,000
    School website, Criminal Justice at South Hills School of Business & Technology

  • Criminal justice certificateOnlineHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Criminal Justice

    Sun Area Technical Institute

    Based in New Berlin, PA

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Sun Area Technical Institute, based in New Berlin, PACriminal justice certificate · Accredited schoolOnline · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$6,500
    School website, Criminal Justice at Sun Area Technical Institute
    More details about Criminal Justice at Sun Area Technical Institute
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    36 weeks, 30 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $100
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $6,500
    School website, Criminal Justice at Sun Area Technical Institute

  • Criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent

    Criminal Justice Career Program

    Allegany Community College

    Everett

    Accredited school

    High school diploma or equivalent

    Allegany Community College, EverettCriminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree) · Accredited schoolHybrid · High school diploma or equivalent

    Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
    Price if you pay yourself$24,033
    School website, Criminal Justice Career Program at Allegany Community College
    More details about Criminal Justice Career Program at Allegany Community College
    Finished
    Not reported
    Working at 6 months
    Not reported
    Earned in a quarter
    Not reported
    Length
    60 weeks, 15 hours a week
    Cost of supplies
    $3,561
    Students counted
    Not reported
    Earned a year, estimated
    Not reported
    Price if you pay yourself
    $24,033
    School website, Criminal Justice Career Program at Allegany Community College

How to pay for criminal justice programs in Pennsylvania

WIOA funding can pay for criminal justice programs in Pennsylvania

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 Pennsylvania

lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
24th of 24
criminal justice programs here, against the typical state's 8
7 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).

Other training in Pennsylvania

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

Where the Pennsylvania criminal justice program numbers come from

Which Pennsylvania criminal justice programs are on this list?

These are the criminal justice programs Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania offers.

How the prices and results of Pennsylvania 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.

How reliable are the Pennsylvania figures?

We leave out the share working 6 months later for Pennsylvania: its rates sit far below every other state's, and the counts suggest jobs were traced only for students whose training was publicly paid.

Sources for the facts about criminal justice programs in Pennsylvania

Show the 9 sourcesHide the sources
  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Police and Detectives
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  8. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  9. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List