Criminal justice programs in Washington

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

18 schools offer these criminal justice programs, and Washington 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 Washington, 20 of the 26 programs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent and 6 ask for earlier courses first.

By kind, the 26 programs here are criminal justice, corrections or police science (associate degree, 15 programs), crime scene and forensic science (6 programs), criminal justice certificate (4 programs) and law enforcement and investigation certificate (1 program).

See the 26 programs

How much do criminal justice programs cost in Washington?

Two-year degrees (15 programs): $9,568 to $12,060most of them, usually 60 weeks long
Other criminal justice programs (11 programs): $5,641 to $6,826most of them, usually 32 to 60 weeks long

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: 54%
Working 6 months later: 84%
Earned a year, estimated: about $29,900
Length: 45 to 60 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 Washington may also offer criminal justice programs. How these figures are made

Are there free criminal justice programs in Washington?

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 $9,568 to $12,060.Other criminal justice programs here mostly cost $5,641 to $6,826.

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

How to pay for criminal justice programs in Washington

WIOA funding can pay for criminal justice programs in Washington

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 Washington

lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare: 15th of 24
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less: 8 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 Seattle, Bellingham, Longview and other Washington cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 5 more programs are in 5 other areas and 1 online.

Other training in Washington

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

Where the Washington criminal justice program numbers come from

Which Washington criminal justice programs are on this list?

These are the criminal justice programs Washington 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 Washington offers.

How the prices and results of Washington 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 Washington

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Criminal justice programs in Washington

How much do criminal justice programs cost in Washington?

Are there free criminal justice programs in Washington?

All 26 criminal justice programs in Washington approved for WIOA funding