Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Pelham, AL (2026)

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).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Pelham

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.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Herzing University-BirminghamBirmingham, AL11.7 miContact school for pricing
Lawson State Community CollegeBirmingham, AL12.3 miContact school for pricing
University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL13.6 mi$8,832 - $27,826
Strayer University-AlabamaBirmingham, AL14.2 mi$13,920 - $23,838
Miles CollegeFairfield, AL14.7 miContact school for pricing
Jefferson State Community CollegeBirmingham, AL23.7 miContact school for pricing
Talladega CollegeTalladega, AL38.1 miContact school for pricing
Stillman CollegeTuscaloosa, AL48.5 miContact school for pricing
George C Wallace State Community College-HancevilleHanceville, AL52.6 mi$4,980 - $18,748
George C Wallace State Community College-SelmaSelma, AL61.6 miContact school for pricing

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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$152,240Birmingham, AL$166,201
Judge or Magistrate$51,520Birmingham, AL$56,245
Police Supervisor$90,200Birmingham, AL$98,472
Detective or Criminal Investigator$76,580Birmingham, AL$83,603
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$61,050Birmingham, AL$66,648
Correctional Officer$54,050Birmingham, AL$59,007
Probation Officer$56,960Birmingham, AL$62,183
Forensic Science Technician$66,020Birmingham, AL$72,074
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$57,540Birmingham, AL$62,817
Information Security Analyst$100,950Birmingham, 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.


Pelham at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,510Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$91,904Census 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 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.

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

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.

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.


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.