Whether you're a native or a prospective student, Nebraska has vast recreational possibilities and four seasons to suite your tastes. It has a low cost of living to help make life affordable and the state had a low unemployment rate of 5 percent in 2010--nearly half the national average.
Nebraska Criminal Justice Colleges
There are approximately 20 criminal justice colleges in Nebraska located throughout the state. If you find attending an on-campus college difficult due to distance or transportation, online studies offer accredited criminal justice degrees. Nebraska criminal justice colleges offer degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Many opportunities exist for police, security guards, and correctional officers. Although a degree is not required for those careers, it can help you land the best positions or qualify for advancement. For careers in investigation, forensics, paralegal work, and criminal law, degrees are your key to career advancement. For police jobs in Nebraska, attendance at a police academy is required. Police and sheriff's deputies attend the Grand Island Academy while State Troopers train in Lincoln. Training is rigorous and prepares you for meeting crime head on.
Whether you're a native or a prospective student, Nebraska has vast recreational possibilities and four seasons to suite your tastes. It has a low cost of living to help make life affordable and the state had a low unemployment rate of 5 percent in 2010--nearly half the national average.
Nebraska Criminal Justice Colleges
There are approximately 20 criminal justice colleges in Nebraska located throughout the state. If you find attending an on-campus college difficult due to distance or transportation, online studies offer accredited criminal justice degrees. Nebraska criminal justice colleges offer degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Many opportunities exist for police, security guards, and correctional officers. Although a degree is not required for those careers, it can help you land the best positions or qualify for advancement. For careers in investigation, forensics, paralegal work, and criminal law, degrees are your key to career advancement. For police jobs in Nebraska, attendance at a police academy is required. Police and sheriff's deputies attend the Grand Island Academy while State Troopers train in Lincoln. Training is rigorous and prepares you for meeting crime head on.
Salaries and Outlook for Law Enforcement Jobs in Nebraska
Experience and training have a bearing on salaries in criminal justice. The mean annual salary for police jobs in Nebraska was $44,430 in 2009, compared to $55,180 nationally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. The annual salary for correctional jobs was $30,950 compared to $42,610 nationally. Detectives and CSI investigators in Nebraska earned $58,980 versus $65,860 nationwide, but salary varies depending on experience. Security guards had a mean annual salary of $26,380 in 2009 compared to $26,430 nationwide. Nebraska has a small budget deficit but low unemployment and good prospects for the future. Forecasts call for good opportunities in the criminal justice field during 2010 increasing dramatically by 2016. According to the National Institute of Corrections, Nebraska had a crime rate that was about 13 percent below the national average in 2008, with property crimes accounting for about 90 percent of all crimes.
