Best Criminal Justice Schools Near Pelham, AL (2026)

Pelham, Alabama has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $9,098 to $28,145 per year for indexed programs. Pelham has a population of about 24,510. Median household income is $91,904 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Birmingham, AL metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $170,230 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Pelham

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

Herzing University-Birmingham

Birmingham, AL 11.7 miles from Pelham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,909
Avg net price $19,651/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, AL 13.6 miles from Pelham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 88%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,501
Avg net price $18,749/yr
Tuition
In‑state$9,098
Out‑of‑state$22,562
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 130

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

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#3

Strayer University-Alabama

Birmingham, AL 14.2 miles from Pelham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
21.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
Tuition
In‑state$13,920
Out‑of‑state$13,920
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 16

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Miles College

Fairfield, AL 14.7 miles from Pelham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
32.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,627
Avg net price $14,271/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Talladega College

Talladega, AL 38.1 miles from Pelham
  • 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

#6

Stillman College

Tuscaloosa, AL 48.5 miles from Pelham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
31.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $35,421
Avg net price $15,258/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Jacksonville State University

Jacksonville, AL 67.1 miles from Pelham
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,235
Avg net price $14,279/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Alabama State University

Montgomery, AL 70.7 miles from Pelham
  • 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

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Pelham

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 $170,230 Birmingham, AL $185,841
Judge or Magistrate $57,260 Birmingham, AL $62,511
Police Supervisor $94,790 Birmingham, AL $103,483
Detective or Criminal Investigator $79,560 Birmingham, AL $86,856
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer $60,590 Birmingham, AL $66,146
Correctional Officer $57,570 Birmingham, AL $62,849
Probation Officer $65,720 Birmingham, AL $71,747
Forensic Science Technician $67,340 Birmingham, AL $73,515
Paralegal or Legal Assistant $53,160 Birmingham, AL $58,035
Information Security Analyst $115,520 Birmingham, AL $126,114

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.


Pelham at a Glance

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

Other Pelham-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Pelham. The closest is Herzing University-Birmingham in Birmingham, AL (11.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Miles College (14.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Pelham are: Attorney ($170,230), Information Security Analyst ($115,520), Police Supervisor ($94,790). 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 Hoover instead of Pelham?

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.

Is Pelham an affordable place to study criminal justice?

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.

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 Pelham

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.