Becoming a Correctional Officer in Illinois

Male and female correctional officers in Illinois work in a variety of local, federal, and state facilities with incarcerated persons across the state. In order to meet the needs of the incarcerated population, Illinois has a number of different types of facilities including transition centres, booth camps, correctional facilities, administrative and diagnostic centers, women's facilities, and work camps. Placement in any of these facilities depends on the severity of the sentence, rehabilitative opportunities, and a variety of other factors. Correctional officers are needed for all facilities. According to state records, the Department of Corrections currently employs 10,850 officers, and according to BLS, demand is set to increase by about 550 new positions over the next 10 years. Additional positions will be available due to retirement, attrition, and professional development. As our nation learns more about sentencing and recidivism, more employment opportunities for correctional officers will develop. To read more about this exciting profession, continue reading.

66
Schools Analyzed
20
Schools Ranked

Top Schools Supporting Careers in Criminal Justice & Corrections

The following rankings are based on student data, published surveys, and other school and career data collected from several sources which include the following government agencies:

Data Sources

  • National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

By obtaining our base data set from the above data sources, schools were ranked using the criteria below:

  • Schools with less than 10 total graduates per year were omitted in order to maintain statistical integrity
  • Schools must have at least 1 graduate in the field of criminal justice
  • Only 4-year, 2-year, and technical public and private non-profit schools were included

Schools were sorted in order of the highest percentage of total students graduating with a degree in the field of criminal justice (CIPCODES: 43.0102, 43.0110, 43.0113, 43.0103, 43.0104, 43.0107, 43.0109, 43.0111, 43.0112, 43.0199).

1

City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College

7500 S Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60652-1299

City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College ranks first in our rankings with 133 students graduating from programs in criminal justice and security and loss prevention services out of a total two thousand graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 6.62%
  • Program Graduates: 133
  • Total Graduates: 2,010
  • Programs:
    • Criminal Justice
    • Security And Loss Prevention Services

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: ccc.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
2

MacMurray College

447 East College Ave, Jacksonville, IL 62650-2590

MacMurray College ranks 2nd in our rankings with thirteen students completing programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 206 graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 6.31%
  • Program Graduates: 13
  • Total Graduates: 206

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: mac.edu
  • School Size: Less than 1,000
3

Western Illinois University

1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455

Western Illinois University ranks 3rd in our latest rankings with 377 students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration out of a total six thousand students in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 6.15%
  • Program Graduates: 377
  • Total Graduates: 6,132

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 4-year
  • Website: wiu.edu
  • School Size: 10,000 - 20,000
4

Lewis University

One University Parkway, Romeoville, IL 60446-2200

Lewis University ranks 4th in our rankings with 186 students completing programs in security and loss prevention services, corrections, and criminal justice out of a total 3,576 graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 5.20%
  • Program Graduates: 186
  • Total Graduates: 3,576
  • Programs:
    • Criminal Justice
    • Security And Loss Prevention Services
    • Corrections

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: lewisu.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
5

Blackburn College

700 College Ave, Carlinville, IL 62626

Blackburn College ranks fifth in our latest rankings with nine students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total 194 graduates.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 4.64%
  • Program Graduates: 9
  • Total Graduates: 194

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: blackburn.edu
  • School Size: Less than 1,000
6

Kankakee Community College

100 College Drive, Kankakee, IL 60901

Kankakee Community College ranks sixth in our latest rankings with eighty-one students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total a thousand graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 4.49%
  • Program Graduates: 81
  • Total Graduates: 1,804

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: kcc.edu
  • School Size: 1,000 - 5,000
7

Southwestern Illinois College

2500 Carlyle Ave, Belleville, IL 62221-5899

Southwestern Illinois College ranks 7th in our rankings with 246 students completing programs in criminal justice and law enforcement administration out of a total 5,796 students from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 4.24%
  • Program Graduates: 246
  • Total Graduates: 5,796
  • Programs:
    • Law Enforcement Administration
    • Police Science
    • Security And Loss Prevention Services

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: swic.edu
  • School Size: 10,000 - 20,000
8

Eureka College

300 E. College Avenue, Eureka, IL 61530

Eureka College ranks 8th in our latest rankings with 13 students graduating from programs in corrections out of a total 408 graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 3.19%
  • Program Graduates: 13
  • Total Graduates: 408

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: eureka.edu
  • School Size: Less than 1,000
9

Chicago State University

9501 S. King Drive, Chicago, IL 60628-1598

Chicago State University ranks 9th in our latest rankings with 66 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total two thousand graduates.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 3.13%
  • Program Graduates: 66
  • Total Graduates: 2,110

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 4-year
  • Website: csu.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
10

South Suburban College

15800 South State Street, South Holland, IL 60473-1200

South Suburban College ranks 10th in our latest rankings with thirty-two students completing programs in criminal justice and juvenile corrections out of a total 1,074 graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.98%
  • Program Graduates: 32
  • Total Graduates: 1,074
  • Programs:
    • Criminal Justice
    • Police Science
    • Juvenile Corrections

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: ssc.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
11

Governors State University

1 University Pky, University Park, IL 60484

Governors State University ranks eleventh in our latest rankings with 87 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 3,266 graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.66%
  • Program Graduates: 87
  • Total Graduates: 3,266

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 4-year
  • Website: govst.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
12

Northeastern Illinois University

5500 N Saint Louis Ave, Chicago, IL 60625-4699

Northeastern Illinois University ranks 12th in our rankings with 116 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total four thousand students in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.60%
  • Program Graduates: 116
  • Total Graduates: 4,458

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 4-year
  • Website: neiu.edu
  • School Size: 10,000 - 20,000
13

Lincoln Land Community College

5250 Shepherd Rd, Springfield, IL 62794-9256

Lincoln Land Community College ranks thirteenth in our latest rankings with 112 students graduating from programs in criminal justice, criminal justice, and security and loss prevention services out of a total 4,386 graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.55%
  • Program Graduates: 112
  • Total Graduates: 4,386
  • Programs:
    • Criminal Justice
    • Police Science
    • Security And Loss Prevention Services

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: llcc.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
14

Aurora University

347 S Gladstone Ave, Aurora, IL 60506-4892

Aurora University ranks 14th in our rankings with 69 students graduating from programs in criminal justice and law enforcement administration out of a total two thousand graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.50%
  • Program Graduates: 69
  • Total Graduates: 2,760
  • Programs:
    • Law Enforcement Administration
    • Criminal Justice

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: aurora.edu
  • School Size: 1,000 - 5,000
15

Lewis and Clark Community College

5800 Godfrey Rd, Godfrey, IL 62035

Lewis and Clark Community College ranks fifteenth in our rankings with 62 students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total two thousand students in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.26%
  • Program Graduates: 62
  • Total Graduates: 2,746

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: lc.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
16

Quincy University

1800 College Ave, Quincy, IL 62301-2699

Quincy University ranks 16th in our latest rankings with fifteen students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 742 students.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.02%
  • Program Graduates: 15
  • Total Graduates: 742

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: quincy.edu
  • School Size: 1,000 - 5,000
17

Kaskaskia College

27210 College Rd, Centralia, IL 62801

Kaskaskia College ranks seventeenth in our latest rankings with sixty-three students completing programs in law enforcement administration out of a total three thousand students.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 1.94%
  • Program Graduates: 63
  • Total Graduates: 3,254

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: kaskaskia.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
18

North Park University

3225 W Foster Ave, Chicago, IL 60625-4895

North Park University ranks eighteenth in our rankings with twenty-eight students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total 1,462 students from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 1.92%
  • Program Graduates: 28
  • Total Graduates: 1,462

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: northpark.edu
  • School Size: 1,000 - 5,000
19

Moraine Valley Community College

9000 W. College Parkway, Palos Hills, IL 60465-0937

Moraine Valley Community College ranks 19th in our latest rankings with ninety-four students completing programs in security and loss prevention services and criminal justice out of a total 5,154 graduates.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 1.82%
  • Program Graduates: 94
  • Total Graduates: 5,154
  • Programs:
    • Police Science
    • Security And Loss Prevention Services

School Details

20

University of Illinois at Springfield

One University Plaza, Springfield, IL 62703-5407

University of Illinois at Springfield ranks 20th in our rankings with 49 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 2,716 graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 1.80%
  • Program Graduates: 49
  • Total Graduates: 2,716

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 4-year
  • Website: uis.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000

Continued List of All Criminal Jusitice Programs in Illinois

ProgramWebsite

Joliet Junior College

1215 Houbolt Rd, Joliet, IL 60431-8938
Phone: (815) 729-9020

Morton College

3801 S Central Ave, Cicero, IL 60804-4398
Phone: (708) 656-8000

Oakton Community College

1600 E Golf Rd., Des Plaines, IL 60016-1268
Phone: (847) 635-1600

Illinois State University

North and School Streets, Normal, IL 61790-1000
Phone: (309) 438-2111

Lincoln College

300 Keokuk St, Lincoln, IL 62656
Phone: (217) 732-3155

University of Illinois at Chicago

601 S Morgan, Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: (312) 996-7000

College of Lake County

19351 W Washington St., Grayslake, IL 60030-1198
Phone: (847) 543-2000

Saint Xavier University

3700 W 103rd St, Chicago, IL 60655
Phone: (773) 298-3000

Richland Community College

One College Pk, Decatur, IL 62521-8512
Phone: (217) 875-7200

Triton College

2000 5th Ave, River Grove, IL 60171-1995
Phone: (708) 456-0300 x3130

Southeastern Illinois College

3575 College Road, Harrisburg, IL 62946
Phone: (618) 252-5400

Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville

Il State Rte 157, Edwardsville, IL 62026-1259
Phone: (618) 650-2000

Elmhurst College

190 Prospect Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126-3096
Phone: (630) 617-3500

Danville Area Community College

2000 E Main St, Danville, IL 61832-5118
Phone: (217) 443-3222

University of St Francis

500 N Wilcox St, Joliet, IL 60435-6188
Phone: (815) 740-3360

Trinity Christian College

6601 W College Dr, Palos Heights, IL 60463-0929
Phone: (708) 597-3000

Roosevelt University

430 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605-1394
Phone: (312) 341-3500

Elgin Community College

1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin, IL 60123-7193
Phone: (847) 697-1000

Loyola University Chicago

1032 W. Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60660
Phone: (773) 274-3000

College of DuPage

425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, IL 60137-6599
Phone: (630) 942-2800

Sauk Valley Community College

173 Illinois Rt 2, Dixon, IL 61021-9112
Phone: (815) 288-5511

Olney Central College

305 N West Street, Olney, IL 62450
Phone: (618) 393-2982

Parkland College

2400 W Bradley Ave, Champaign, IL 61821-1899
Phone: (217) 351-2200

Greenville College

315 E. College Ave, Greenville, IL 62246
Phone: (618) 664-2800

Rend Lake College

468 N Ken Gray Pky, Ina, IL 62846
Phone: (618) 437-5321 x1331

Waubonsee Community College

Rte 47 at Waubonsee Drive, Sugar Grove, IL 60554-9454
Phone: (630) 466-7900 x2255

Carl Sandburg College

2400 Tom L. Wilson Boulevard, Galesburg, IL 61401
Phone: (309) 344-2518

John A Logan College

700 Logan College Road, Carterville, IL 62918-2500
Phone: (618) 985-3741

Kishwaukee College

21193 Malta Rd, Malta, IL 60150-9699
Phone: (815) 825-2086

McHenry County College

8900 US Hwy 14, Crystal Lake, IL 60012-2761
Phone: (815) 455-3700

Heartland Community College

1500 West Raab Road, Normal, IL 61761-9446
Phone: (309) 268-8000

Black Hawk College

6600-34th Avenue, Moline, IL 61265-5899
Phone: (309) 796-5000

Judson University

1151 N State St, Elgin, IL 60123-1498
Phone: (847) 628-2500

Harper College

1200 W Algonquin Rd, Palatine, IL 60067-7398
Phone: (847) 925-6000

Bradley University

1501 W Bradley Ave, Peoria, IL 61625-0001
Phone: (309) 676-7611

Olivet Nazarene University

One University Avenue, Bourbonnais, IL 60914-2271
Phone: (815) 939-5011

Lincoln Trail College

11220 State Hwy 1, Robinson, IL 62454
Phone: (618) 393-2982

Illinois Valley Community College

815 N Orlando Smith Ave, Oglesby, IL 61348-9692
Phone: (815) 224-2720

Prairie State College

202 South Halsted Street, Chicago Heights, IL 60411-8226
Phone: (708) 709-3500

Shawnee Community College

8364 Shawnee College Rd, Ullin, IL 62992
Phone: (618) 634-3200

Illinois Central College

1 College Drive, East Peoria, IL 61635-0001
Phone: (309) 694-5422

Frontier Community College

Frontier Drive, Fairfield, IL 62837
Phone: (618) 393-2982

Benedictine University

5700 College Rd, Lisle, IL 60532-0900
Phone: (630) 829-6000

Rock Valley College

3301 N Mulford Rd, Rockford, IL 61114-5699
Phone: (815) 921-7821

University of Chicago

5801 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637
Phone: (773) 702-1234

John Wood Community College

1301 S 48th Street, Quincy, IL 62305-8736
Phone: (217) 224-6500

Illinois Correctional Officer Certification Requirements

The Department of Corrections in Illinois continually recruits qualified and interested applicants for the position of corrections officer. Due to the challenging nature of the work, it is mandatory that all applicants meet all of the minimum requirements of the position. First, eligibility requirements determine whether a candidate can even apply. Do you have:

  • Proof of age (18+)
  • No felony convictions
  • Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal resident alien status
  • Valid Illinois driver's license
  • Proof of military DD-214 if applicable
  • High school diploma or GED
  • Speak, read, and write English

With proof of the above eligibility criteria, candidates may fill out an online application form and wait to be contacted for the next round of assessments, which may include:

  • Written test of knowledge
  • Physical agility test
  • Interview regarding education, work and military experience

Candidates who have successfully passed the assessments may be offered conditional employment based on a satisfactory training camp experience. New employee training teaches a variety of problem-solving and practical tools for corrections officers to use while on the job.

Illinois Department of Corrections

1301 Concordia Court, P.O. Box 19277
Springfield, IL 62794-9277
Phone: (217) 558-2200 x 2008
https://www.illinois.gov/idoc/Pages/default.aspx

Illinois Correctional Officer Employment & Outlook

Correctional Officer Salary: Illinois vs National Salary Comparison

Source: BLS State Cross-Industry Estimates 2011

One of the ways that the state of Illinois strives to serve front-line correctional officers is through strong working conditions and competitive salaries. Currently, the median income for correctional officers throughout the state is considerably higher at $60,300 than that of the national median income. and according to the occupational profile for the state of Illinois, http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?next=occ_rep&Level=&optstatus=011000000&jobfam=33&id=1&nodeid=2&soccode=333012&menuMode=&stfips=17&x=69&y=14 published by CareerInfoNet.org, state and national trends predict a 2% and 5% increase in correctional officer jobs by 2022 respectively. For residents of Illinois, this rate translates into 330 job openings per year.

Occupational Employment Statistics for Correctional Officers (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes333012.htm)

Illinois Correctional Officer Salaries By Area

The table below lists career information organized by the BLS for correctional officers in Illinois. The table is sorted by total employment, with the largest metropolitan areas listed first.

AreaTotal EmploymentAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Chicago, Joliet, Naperville4,300$27.97$58,180
Lake County, Kenosha County460$28.58$59,440
Peoria220$23.57$49,030
Champaign, Urbana70$21.48$44,670