Criminal Justice Schools in Iowa | IA
Iowa is more than just being the “Land Where the Tall Corn Grows”. It is a place with over 200 police departments and just over 100 sheriff’s offices. It administers significant agencies including the Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning, the Iowa Homeland Security & Emergency Management Department, the Division of Criminal Investigation and the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy.
Sponsored School(s)
If you would like to start or advance your career to serve your community and promote safety and security, consider attending one of the criminal justice schools in Iowa. Professions from paralegals to probations officers show a positive career outlook within the next decade. You can complete a criminal justice degree in Iowa specializing in numerous areas including law enforcement, homeland security, criminalistics, forensic sciences, corrections, legal studies and other related areas. You often have the choice between online or campus schools to choose a course of study convenient for your existing lifestyle.
Iowa Criminal Justice Career Outlook
Several criminal justice careers in Iowa show positive growth potential. Here are some examples of professions and the average number of new job openings in these fields per year, according to Projections Central:
- Correctional Officers – 80 openings/year
- Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers – 150 openings/year
- Paralegals – 70 openings/year
- Security Guards – 240 openings/year
- Lawyers – 140 openings/year
- First-line Supervisors of Police and Detectives – 30 openings/year
For each of these occupations, you can complete relevant education to prepare you for the job at hand and to gain a competitive edge over other candidates. Look up information on corrections, law enforcement, paralegal, legal studies or other related degrees among the list of criminal justice schools in Iowa.
Top Criminal Justice Employers & Agencies
One of Iowa’s largest employers, with over 1,500 personnel, is the 132nd Fighter Wing branch of the Iowa National Guard in Des Moines, states Career One Stop. If you were to become a member of the state’s National Guard you would immerse yourself in training and a mentality that focuses on the nation’s homeland security. Often times with the National Guard, you can serve as a part time reservist and pursue post secondary education at the same time. In this case, completing a criminal justice degree in Iowa that specializes in homeland security or counterterrorism may be a natural fit.
Iowa Criminal Justice & Legal Job Outlook & Iowa Criminal Justice Salary
| Career | Employment Growth through 2018 | Current Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | 3% | $44,000 – 49,000+ |
| Court Reporters | 13% | $55,000 – 60,000 |
| Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists | 15% | $58,000 – 62,000+ |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | 9% | $64,000 – 69,000 |
| Private Detectives and Investigators | 13% | $49,000 – 55,000 |
| Paralegals and Legal Assistants | 29% | $41,000 – 44,000 |
| Gaming Surveillance Officers and Investigators | 14% | $28,000 – 30,000 |
| Lawyers | 13% | $100,000 – 110,000 |
| Security Guards | 16% | $23,000 – 26,000 |
Sources: Growth Projections projectionscentral.com ~ Salary Range bls.gov
Iowa Crime Rate
Iowa’s crime rate is approximately 22% lower than the national average, according to the National Institute of Corrections. In 2010, the FBI reported approximately 273 cases of violent crime and 2,242 cases of property crime per 100,000 people.
This relatively low crime rate would be interesting to analyze. What makes one place more or less dangerous and crime-ridden than another? These are some of the issues you could debate in a criminology or criminal justice classroom. If this academic and theoretical aspect to crime interests you, look for relevant programs among the list of criminal justice schools in Iowa to delve a little deeper and perhaps commence a career in public policy or research.
Iowa’s Correctional System Stats
| Facility | Number of Facilities & Offices | Number of Inmates |
|---|---|---|
| Jails | 94 | 3,798 |
| Prisons | 9 | 9,180 |
| Probation & Parole | 8 judicial districts | 26,466 |
Source: www.nicic.gov
Degrees by State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming