Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Hot Springs, AR (2026)

Hot Springs, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $8,455 to $21,013 per year for indexed programs. Hot Springs has a population of about 38,023. Median household income is $46,441 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Arkansas, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Information Security Analyst at a median $103,490 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Hot Springs

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

#1

National Park College

Hot Springs, AR 0.9 miles from Hot Springs BOC Score 40.4
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 32%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,444
Avg net price $12,720/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Hot Springs

Hot Springs is part of the Hot Springs, AR metro area (BLS area code 26300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arkansas statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$92,700Hot Springs, AR$108,168
Judge or MagistrateN/AAR statewide
Police Supervisor$57,680Hot Springs, AR$67,305
Detective or Criminal Investigator$54,500AR statewide$63,594
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$44,850Hot Springs, AR$52,334
Correctional Officer$40,330AR statewide$47,060
Probation Officer$51,180AR statewide$59,720
Forensic Science Technician$44,670AR statewide$52,124
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$47,420AR statewide$55,333
Information Security Analyst$103,490AR statewide$120,758

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.


Hot Springs at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population38,023Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$46,441Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+27.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)85.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Hot Springs-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Hot Springs, AR?

Accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Hot Springs 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 Hot Springs?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Hot Springs are: Information Security Analyst ($103,490), Attorney ($92,700), Police Supervisor ($57,680). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Arkansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Benton instead of Hot Springs?

Benton, AR is 27.8 miles from Hot Springs 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 Hot Springs an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Hot Springs’s median household income of $46,441 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hot Springs while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Arkansas 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 Hot Springs

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.