Pelham, Alabama has a population of about 24,510. The city’s median household income is $91,904 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 22 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Pelham, with tuition ranging from $4,980 to $27,826 per year for indexed programs. In the Birmingham, AL metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $152,240 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).
The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 22 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Pelham. Distances are calculated from Pelham city center.
| School | City | Distance | Tuition | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herzing University-Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | 11.7 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Lawson State Community College | Birmingham, AL | 12.3 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham | Birmingham, AL | 13.6 mi | $8,832 - $27,826 | – |
| Strayer University-Alabama | Birmingham, AL | 14.2 mi | $13,920 - $23,838 | – |
| Miles College | Fairfield, AL | 14.7 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Jefferson State Community College | Birmingham, AL | 23.7 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Talladega College | Talladega, AL | 38.1 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| Stillman College | Tuscaloosa, AL | 48.5 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
| George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville | Hanceville, AL | 52.6 mi | $4,980 - $18,748 | – |
| George C Wallace State Community College-Selma | Selma, AL | 61.6 mi | Contact school for pricing | – |
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Alabama schools on the Alabama criminal justice page.
Pelham is part of the Birmingham, AL metro area (BLS area code 13820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Alabama statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney | $152,240 | Birmingham, AL | $166,201 |
| Judge or Magistrate | $51,520 | Birmingham, AL | $56,245 |
| Police Supervisor | $90,200 | Birmingham, AL | $98,472 |
| Detective or Criminal Investigator | $76,580 | Birmingham, AL | $83,603 |
| Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $61,050 | Birmingham, AL | $66,648 |
| Correctional Officer | $54,050 | Birmingham, AL | $59,007 |
| Probation Officer | $56,960 | Birmingham, AL | $62,183 |
| Forensic Science Technician | $66,020 | Birmingham, AL | $72,074 |
| Paralegal or Legal Assistant | $57,540 | Birmingham, AL | $62,817 |
| Information Security Analyst | $100,950 | Birmingham, AL | $110,207 |
Source: BLS, May 2024 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.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,510 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $91,904 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 48.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 91.6 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Our directory has 22 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Pelham. The closest is Herzing University-Birmingham in Birmingham, AL (11.7 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is George C Wallace State Community College-Selma (61.6 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Pelham are: Attorney ($152,240), Information Security Analyst ($100,950), Police Supervisor ($90,200). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Alabama statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Hoover, AL is 5.3 miles from Pelham 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.
Pelham’s median household income of $91,904 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pelham while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Alabama public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
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.
Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.
Return to Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Alabama (2026)