Becoming a Correctional Officer in Kansas

The state Department of Corrections in Kansas is committed to hiring corrections staff that keep communities in Kansas safe through effective correctional measures. The state currently has 8 prison facilities - El Dorado, Norton, and Topeka secure correctional facilities for inmates serving longer incarceration periods, as well as a large number of county jails, which hold offenders waiting for sentencing or who have short-term sentences. In both areas, the Department is recruiting candidates for both operational and administrative roles. According to the state's resource page and the BLS, there are currently 3,295 male and female correctional officers working throughout the state. By 2022, predictions state that there should be an additional 165 new jobs created, as well as roles to be filled due to retirement, attrition, and professional advancement. Potential applicants that have desirable values such as professionalism, integrity, and non-discrimination as well as a willingness for on-the-job training and accreditation, are invited to browse further to learn more about this career choice.

27
Schools Analyzed
10
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

Central Christian College of Kansas

1200 S Main, McPherson, KS 67460-5740

Central Christian College of Kansas ranks 1st in our rankings with 16 students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 196 students in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 8.16%
  • Program Graduates: 16
  • Total Graduates: 196

School Details

2

Kansas Wesleyan University

100 E. Claflin Ave., Salina, KS 67401-6196

Kansas Wesleyan University ranks 2nd in our rankings with twenty students completing programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 462 students.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 4.33%
  • Program Graduates: 20
  • Total Graduates: 462

School Details

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

Southwestern College

100 College Street, Winfield, KS 67156-6224

Southwestern College ranks third in our rankings with 63 students graduating from programs in criminal justice and securities services administration and management out of a total 1,454 graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 4.33%
  • Program Graduates: 63
  • Total Graduates: 1,454
  • Programs:
    • Criminal Justice
    • Securities Services Administration and management

School Details

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

Ottawa University-Online

1001 South Cedar, Ottawa, KS 66067

Ottawa University-Online ranks 4th in our rankings with 12 students completing programs in law enforcement administration out of a total 422 graduates.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.84%
  • Program Graduates: 12
  • Total Graduates: 422

School Details

  • School Type: Private, 4-year
  • Website: ottawa.edu
  • School Size: Less than 1,000
5

Washburn University

1700 SW College Avenue, Topeka, KS 66621-0001

Washburn University ranks 5th in our latest rankings with sixty-five students graduating from programs in law enforcement administration and securities services administration and management out of a total two thousand students from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 2.25%
  • Program Graduates: 65
  • Total Graduates: 2,894
  • Programs:
    • Corrections
    • Law Enforcement Administration
    • Securities Services Administration and management

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 4-year
  • Website: washburn.edu
  • School Size: 5,000 - 10,000
6

Colby Community College

1255 S Range, Colby, KS 67701

Colby Community College ranks 6th in our latest rankings with eleven students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total 642 graduates.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 1.71%
  • Program Graduates: 11
  • Total Graduates: 642

School Details

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

Johnson County Community College

12345 College Blvd, Overland Park, KS 66210-1299

Johnson County Community College ranks seventh in our latest rankings with 102 students completing programs in criminal justice and law enforcement administration out of a total 6,114 graduates.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 1.67%
  • Program Graduates: 102
  • Total Graduates: 6,114
  • Programs:
    • Law Enforcement Administration
    • Police Science

School Details

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

Wichita State University

1845 N. Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0124

Wichita State University ranks 8th in our latest rankings with 98 students graduating from programs in criminal justice out of a total six thousand students from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 1.60%
  • Program Graduates: 98
  • Total Graduates: 6,106

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 4-year
  • Website: wichita.edu
  • School Size: 10,000 - 20,000
9

Dodge City Community College

2501 N 14th Ave, Dodge City, KS 67801-2399

Dodge City Community College ranks 9th in our latest rankings with 8 students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 512 graduates in the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 1.56%
  • Program Graduates: 8
  • Total Graduates: 512

School Details

  • School Type: Public, 2-year
  • Website: dc3.edu
  • School Size: 1,000 - 5,000
10

Garden City Community College

801 Campus Dr, Garden City, KS 67846-6333

Garden City Community College ranks tenth in our rankings with eight students completing programs in criminal justice out of a total 584 graduates from the 2012-2013 school year.

Ranking Details

  • Percent of Graduates: 1.37%
  • Program Graduates: 8
  • Total Graduates: 584

School Details

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

Continued List of All Criminal Jusitice Programs in Kansas

ProgramWebsite

Newman University

3100 McCormick Ave, Wichita, KS 67213-2097
Phone: (316) 942-4291

Fort Scott Community College

2108 S Horton, Fort Scott, KS 66701
Phone: (620) 223-2700

Fort Hays State University

600 Park St, Hays, KS 67601-4099
Phone: (785) 628-4000

Pittsburg State University

1701 S Broadway, Pittsburg, KS 66762
Phone: (620) 231-7000

Kansas City Kansas Community College

7250 State Ave, Kansas City, KS 66112
Phone: (913) 334-1100

Emporia State University

1200 Commercial, Emporia, KS 66801-5087
Phone: (620) 341-1200

Butler Community College

901 S Haverhill Rd, El Dorado, KS 67042-3280
Phone: (316) 321-2222

Allen County Community College

1801 N Cottonwood, Iola, KS 66749
Phone: (620) 365-5116 x100

Cowley County Community College

125 S 2nd St, Arkansas City, KS 67005
Phone: (620) 442-0430

Friends University

2100 W. University Ave., Wichita, KS 67213
Phone: (316) 295-5000

Seward County Community College and Area Technical School

1801 N. Kansas Ave., Liberal, KS 67901
Phone: (620) 624-1951

MidAmerica Nazarene University

2030 E College Way, Olathe, KS 66062-1899
Phone: (913) 782-3750

Highland Community College

606 W Main, Highland, KS 66035-4165
Phone: (785) 442-6000

Labette Community College

200 S 14th, Parsons, KS 67357-4201
Phone: (620) 421-6700

Barton County Community College

245 NE 30th Road, Great Bend, KS 67530
Phone: (620) 792-2701

Cloud County Community College

2221 Campus Dr, Concordia, KS 66901-1002
Phone: (785) 243-1435

Hutchinson Community College

1300 N Plum St, Hutchinson, KS 67501
Phone: (620) 665-3500

Kansas Correctional Officer Certification Requirements

The Kansas Department of Corrections is continually looking for correctional officers for roles in county jails, parole, and state and federal penitentiaries. Candidates should possess solid moral character and a sense of professionalism and respect for their role. To apply for a job within the state's DOC, there are several documents that must be submitted as part of a preliminary application package. These are:

  • High school diploma or GED
  • Proof of age (21+)
  • No felony convictions
  • Valid drivers license for the state of Kansas
  • United States legal resident status
  • Honorable discharge papers from military if applicable

Having satisfied the minimum basic requirements for the correctional officer application process, further testing is required. The state of Kansas requires correctional officer recruits to successful pass these additional qualifying assessments:

  • Medical screening
  • Fitness testing
  • Mental health screening

Recruits who have successfully passed all eligibility and assessment requirements will be placed in a new candidate hiring pool to be drawn upon as the need arises. As positions become available throughout the state, candidates will be contacted to submit proof of a final negative drug test, and as such, arrangements will be made for correctional officer academy training to begin. Candidates who pass academy training will be certified as corrections officers.

Kansas Department of Corrections

714 SW Jackson, Suite 300
Topeka, KS 66603
Phone: (785) 296-3317
http://www.dc.state.ks.us/

Kansas Correctional Officer Employment & Outlook

Correctional Officer Salary: Kansas vs National Salary Comparison

Source: BLS State Cross-Industry Estimates 2011

The state Department of Corrections in Kansas encourages growth by inviting citizens to pursue careers in state service, namely as front-line correctional officers. At this time, the median income for correctional officers throughout Kansas is lower at $32,700 than the national median income at $39,800, but according to occupational data for the state of Kansas, available at http://www.careerinfonet.org/occ_rep.asp?next=occ_rep&Level=&optstatus=011000000&jobfam=33&id=1&nodeid=2&soccode=333012&menuMode=&stfips=20&x=35&y=10 and published by CareerInfoNet.org, state trends are predicted to experience an 8% growth curve from now until 2022 as compared to the national growth rate of 5%. This predicted growth pattern translates into 140 new and existing openings annually over the next decade.

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

Kansas Correctional Officer Salaries By Area

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

AreaTotal EmploymentAverage Hourly WageAverage Annual Salary
Wichita540$15.67$32,600
Topeka360$15.49$32,210
Manhattan140$14.81$30,800