Best Crime Analysis Schools Near Charleston, WV (2026)

Charleston, West Virginia has 15 accredited schools offering crime analysis programs, with tuition ranging from $4,612 to $24,850 per year for indexed programs. Charleston has a population of about 47,918. Median household income is $64,512 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 44.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charleston, WV metro area, the top-earning crime analysis-related role is Detective and Criminal Investigator at a median $92,410 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Crime Analysis Schools to Charleston

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer crime analysis programs near Charleston, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Charleston city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Charleston. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

West Virginia State University

Institute, WV 7.7 miles from Charleston BOC Score 38.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,492
Avg net price $11,139/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Marshall University

Huntington, WV 43.4 miles from Charleston BOC Score 54.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,354
Avg net price $7,502/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Glenville State University

Glenville, WV 59.2 miles from Charleston BOC Score 35.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,315
Avg net price $14,006/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 59%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

West Virginia University at Parkersburg

Parkersburg, WV 60.3 miles from Charleston BOC Score 64.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,171
Avg net price $1,807/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Bluefield State University

Bluefield, WV 77.8 miles from Charleston BOC Score 39.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,217
Avg net price $13,684/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 55%
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Salem University

Salem, WV 86.4 miles from Charleston BOC Score 35.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,642
Avg net price $12,303/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

West Virginia Wesleyan College

Buckhannon, WV 88.1 miles from Charleston BOC Score 48.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,593
Avg net price $18,083/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Davis & Elkins College

Elkins, WV 104.6 miles from Charleston BOC Score 40.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,411
Avg net price $18,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all West Virginia schools on the West Virginia crime analysis page.


Crime Analysis Wages Near Charleston

Charleston is part of the Charleston, WV metro area (BLS area code 16620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to West Virginia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Detective and Criminal Investigator$92,410Charleston, WV$104,183
Forensic Science Technician$63,920Charleston, WV$72,063
Statistician$55,340Charleston, WV$62,390
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$57,460Charleston, WV$64,780

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Charleston at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population47,918Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$64,512Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+44.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)88.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Charleston-Area Cities With Crime Analysis Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited crime analysis schools are near Charleston, WV?

Our directory has 15 accredited schools offering crime analysis programs near Charleston. The closest is West Virginia State University in Institute, WV (7.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Pikeville (77.2 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying crime analysis roles near Charleston?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying crime analysis-related roles near Charleston are: Detective and Criminal Investigator ($92,410), Forensic Science Technician ($63,920), Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer ($57,460). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with West Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Huntington instead of Charleston?

Huntington, WV is 43.7 miles from Charleston and has its own set of local crime analysis programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Charleston an affordable place to study crime analysis?

Charleston’s median household income of $64,512 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Charleston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and West Virginia public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Crime Analysis Programs

Other Programs Available in Charleston

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Charleston:

Data verified: August 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.