Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Phoenix, AZ (2026)

Phoenix, Arizona has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Phoenix has a population of about 1,624,832. Median household income is $77,041 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $135,670 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Phoenix

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

#1

DeVry University-Arizona

Phoenix, AZ 1.0 miles from Phoenix BOC Score 29.1
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,987
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 100%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Grand Canyon University

Phoenix, AZ 4.7 miles from Phoenix BOC Score 33.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,186
Avg net price $22,472/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 72

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Phoenix College

Phoenix, AZ 6.2 miles from Phoenix BOC Score 52.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 20%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,870
Avg net price $12,055/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 76

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Paradise Valley Community College

Phoenix, AZ 7.2 miles from Phoenix BOC Score 51.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,196
Avg net price $12,180/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

GateWay Community College

Phoenix, AZ 9.1 miles from Phoenix BOC Score 49.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,147
Avg net price $13,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Phoenix-Arizona

Phoenix, AZ 12.0 miles from Phoenix BOC Score 30.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,752
Avg net price $13,520/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 41%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Aspen University

Phoenix, AZ 12.7 miles from Phoenix BOC Score 39.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 53%
Tuition
In‑state$6,870
Out‑of‑state$6,870
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 48%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:Accreditor: Distance Education Accrediting CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

South Mountain Community College

Phoenix, AZ 13.5 miles from Phoenix BOC Score 38.9
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,825
Avg net price $12,780/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,358
Out‑of‑state$8,958
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Phoenix

Phoenix is part of the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area (BLS area code 38060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arizona statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$135,670Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$131,336
Judge or Magistrate$113,440Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$109,816
Police Supervisor$114,520Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$110,862
Detective or Criminal Investigator$98,860Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$95,702
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$85,050Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$82,333
Correctional Officer$57,280Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$55,450
Probation Officer$61,730Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$59,758
Forensic Science Technician$65,220Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$63,136
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$62,620Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$60,620
Information Security Analyst$130,360Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$126,196

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.


Phoenix at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population1,624,832Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$77,041Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+32.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.3 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Phoenix-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Phoenix, AZ?

Accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Phoenix are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Phoenix are: Attorney ($135,670), Information Security Analyst ($130,360), Police Supervisor ($114,520). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arizona statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Glendale instead of Phoenix?

Glendale, AZ is 7.8 miles from Phoenix 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 Phoenix an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Phoenix’s median household income of $77,041 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Phoenix while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arizona 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 Phoenix

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.