Criminal justice programs in Wisconsin

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

15 schools offer these criminal justice programs, and Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin, 8 of the 22 programs take students without a high school diploma, 12 ask for a diploma or equivalent, 1 asks for earlier courses first and 1 asks for an associate degree.

By kind, the 22 programs here are criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree, 18 programs), criminal justice certificate (1 program), crime scene and forensic science (1 program), law enforcement and investigation certificate (1 program), and 1 more of one other kind.

See the 22 programs

How much do criminal justice programs cost in Wisconsin?

Two-year degrees (18 programs): $9,675 to $10,227most of them, usually 63 to 64 weeks long
Other criminal justice programs (4 programs): $685 to $9,705all 4 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: 42%
Working 6 months later: 82%
Earned a year, estimated: about $32,000
Length: 62 to 64 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 Wisconsin may also offer criminal justice programs. How these figures are made

Are there free criminal justice programs in Wisconsin?

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.⁴In program year 2024 it paid toward the training of at least 30 people at 7 of the 22 programs here.
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 $9,675 to $10,227.Other criminal justice programs here cost $685 to $9,705.

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

How to pay for criminal justice programs in Wisconsin

WIOA funding can pay for criminal justice programs in Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin

programs with a price cost under $10,000: 13 of 22
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare: 17th of 24
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less: 10 of 16
criminal justice programs here, against the typical state's 8: 22 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 Appleton, Madison, Green Bay and other Wisconsin cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 7 more programs are in 7 other areas, 4 in smaller cities and towns and 1 online.

Other training in Wisconsin

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

Where the Wisconsin criminal justice program numbers come from

Which Wisconsin criminal justice programs are on this list?

These are the criminal justice programs Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin offers.

How the prices and results of Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin

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Criminal justice programs in Wisconsin

How much do criminal justice programs cost in Wisconsin?

Are there free criminal justice programs in Wisconsin?

All 22 criminal justice programs in Wisconsin approved for WIOA funding

Criminal Justice Studies