Best Criminal Justice Schools Near Opelika, AL (2026)

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

Opelika, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $5,100 to $12,600 per year for indexed programs. Opelika has a population of about 35,005. In the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Information Security Analyst at a median $120,950 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Opelika

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Opelika, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Opelika 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 Opelika. 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

Amridge University

Montgomery, AL 50.8 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
  • Accredited
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,621
Tuition
In‑state$7,590
Out‑of‑state$7,590
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Auburn University at Montgomery

Montgomery, AL 50.9 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
42.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,391
Avg net price $13,224/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,700
Out‑of‑state$20,668
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Faulkner University

Montgomery, AL 52.5 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
32.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 73%
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,457
Avg net price $22,085/yr
Tuition
In‑state$23,920
Out‑of‑state$23,920
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

South University-Montgomery

Montgomery, AL 53.7 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
18.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 11%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,421
Avg net price $27,807/yr
Tuition
In‑state$18,145
Out‑of‑state$18,145
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 43%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Huntingdon College

Montgomery, AL 57.1 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
33.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,601
Avg net price $22,566/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Alabama State University

Montgomery, AL 57.3 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
27.1 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 98%
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,502
Avg net price $20,435/yr
Tuition
In‑state$11,248
Out‑of‑state$19,576
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Talladega College

Talladega, AL 68.2 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
29.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,229
Avg net price $15,560/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Troy University

Troy, AL 68.6 miles from Opelika
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
40.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,062
Avg net price $16,527/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Opelika

Opelika is part of the Auburn-Opelika, AL metro area (BLS area code 12220). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$100,560Auburn-Opelika, AL$114,403
Judge or Magistrate$52,850AL statewide$60,125
Police Supervisor$77,960Auburn-Opelika, AL$88,692
Detective or Criminal Investigator$72,420Auburn-Opelika, AL$82,389
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$60,230Auburn-Opelika, AL$68,521
Correctional Officer$45,170Auburn-Opelika, AL$51,388
Probation Officer$61,050AL statewide$69,454
Forensic Science Technician$59,560AL statewide$67,759
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$43,280Auburn-Opelika, AL$49,238
Information Security Analyst$120,950Auburn-Opelika, AL$137,600

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.

Opelika at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)87.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Opelika-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Opelika, AL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Opelika. The closest is Point University in West Point, GA (18.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southern Union State Community College (34.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near Opelika?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Opelika are: Information Security Analyst ($120,950), Attorney ($100,560), Police Supervisor ($77,960). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Auburn instead of Opelika?

Auburn, AL is 7.5 miles from Opelika and has its own set of local criminal justice programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

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 Programs

Other Programs Available in Opelika

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

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 Schools in Alabama (2026)