Best Criminal Justice Administration Schools Near Lawrence, KS

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lawrence, Kansas has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice administration programs, with tuition ranging from $13,296 to $13,296 per year for indexed programs. Lawrence has a population of about 95,459. Median household income is $62,838 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 55.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lawrence, KS metro area, the top-earning criminal justice administration-related role is First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives at a median $102,210 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Administration Schools to Lawrence

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice administration programs near Lawrence, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lawrence 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 Lawrence. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Washburn University

Topeka, KS 24.1 miles from Lawrence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,774
Avg net price $15,280/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 83

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

MidAmerica Nazarene University

Olathe, KS 26.6 miles from Lawrence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,972
Avg net price $32,165/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Ottawa University-Kansas City

Overland Park, KS 33.8 miles from Lawrence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,552
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Ottawa University-Online

Overland Park, KS 33.8 miles from Lawrence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
60.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,552
Tuition
In‑state$13,296
Out‑of‑state$13,296
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Pittsburg State University

Pittsburg, KS 112.6 miles from Lawrence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,579
Avg net price $15,784/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Central Christian College of Kansas

McPherson, KS 136.2 miles from Lawrence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,468
Avg net price $11,404/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 53%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Wichita State University

Wichita, KS 139.4 miles from Lawrence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,532
Avg net price $13,194/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 149

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Friends University

Wichita, KS 144.3 miles from Lawrence
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,113
Avg net price $27,715/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 45

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Kansas schools on the Kansas criminal justice administration page.

Criminal Justice Administration Wages Near Lawrence

Lawrence is part of the Lawrence, KS metro area (BLS area code 29940). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kansas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives$102,210Lawrence, KS$113,315
First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers$71,590KS statewide$79,368
General and Operations Manager$85,110Lawrence, KS$94,357
Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$63,380Lawrence, KS$70,266

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.

Lawrence at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population95,459Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$62,838Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+55.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)90.2 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lawrence-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice administration schools are near Lawrence, KS?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice administration programs near Lawrence. The closest is Washburn University in Topeka, KS (24.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Ottawa University-Kansas City (33.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice administration roles near Lawrence?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice administration-related roles near Lawrence are: First-Line Supervisor of Police and Detectives ($102,210), General and Operations Manager ($85,110), First-Line Supervisor of Correctional Officers ($71,590). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Gardner instead of Lawrence?

Gardner, KS is 20.6 miles from Lawrence and has its own set of local criminal justice administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Lawrence an affordable place to study criminal justice administration?

Lawrence’s median household income of $62,838 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lawrence while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kansas 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 Criminal Justice Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in Lawrence

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

Data verified: August 31, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Criminal Justice Administration Schools in Kansas (2026)