University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Van Buren, AR (2026)
Van Buren, Arkansas has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $9,748 to $28,772 per year for indexed programs. Van Buren has a population of about 23,545. Median household income is $59,420 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Information Security Analyst at a median $91,020 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Van Buren
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Van Buren. Distances are calculated from Van Buren city center.
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 Van Buren. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Carl Albert State College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
University of Arkansas
Published tuition$9,748 - $28,772
Online programsYes
Northeastern State University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
John Brown University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Arkansas schools on the Arkansas criminal justice page.
Criminal Justice Wages Near Van Buren
Van Buren is part of the Fort Smith, AR-OK metro area (BLS area code 22900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Arkansas statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney | $88,100 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $102,561 |
| Judge or Magistrate | N/A | AR statewide | – |
| Police Supervisor | $71,730 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $83,504 |
| Detective or Criminal Investigator | $54,500 | AR statewide | $63,446 |
| Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $51,070 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $59,453 |
| Correctional Officer | $33,790 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $39,336 |
| Probation Officer | $45,410 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $52,864 |
| Forensic Science Technician | $44,670 | AR statewide | $52,002 |
| Paralegal or Legal Assistant | $46,620 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $54,272 |
| Information Security Analyst | $91,020 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $105,960 |
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.
Van Buren at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 23,545 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $59,420 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 19.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 85.9 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Van Buren-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs
- Fort Smith, AR – 6.9 mi away (125,699 pop)
- Fayetteville, AR – 44.3 mi away (336,152 pop)
- Siloam Springs, AR – 51.8 mi away (21,136 pop)
- Springdale, AR – 52.4 mi away (78,557 pop)
- Muskogee, OK – 60.0 mi away (41,117 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Van Buren, AR?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Van Buren. The closest is University of Arkansas-Fort Smith in Fort Smith, AR (4.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is John Brown University (52.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near Van Buren?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Van Buren are: Information Security Analyst ($91,020), Attorney ($88,100), Police Supervisor ($71,730). 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 Fort Smith instead of Van Buren?
Fort Smith, AR is 6.9 miles from Van Buren 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 Van Buren an affordable place to study criminal justice?
Van Buren’s median household income of $59,420 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Van Buren 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
- Criminal Justice accreditation: what to look for
- Criminal Justice concentrations and specializations
- Is a Criminal Justice degree worth it?
- Main Criminal Justice degree guide
- Online Criminal Justice programs in Arkansas
- Criminal Justice programs by state
Other Programs Available in Van Buren
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Van Buren:
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Data verified: June 11, 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.
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