Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Alameda, CA (2026)

Alameda, California has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Alameda has a population of about 76,876. Median household income is $132,015 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 60.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $212,500 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Alameda

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Alameda. Distances are calculated from Alameda 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 Alameda. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Merritt College

Oakland, CA 5.7 miles from Alameda BOC Score36.6
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Online programs--

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#2

Carrington College-San Leandro Campus

San Leandro, CA 9.0 miles from Alameda BOC Score40.7
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Online programs--

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#3

City College of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA 10.4 miles from Alameda BOC Score44.5
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Online programs--

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#4

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA 11.9 miles from Alameda BOC Score78.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Chabot College

Hayward, CA 12.4 miles from Alameda BOC Score46.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Alameda

Alameda is part of the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area (BLS area code 41860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$212,500San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$183,824
Judge or MagistrateN/ACA statewide
Police Supervisor$175,840San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$152,111
Detective or Criminal Investigator$126,700San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$109,602
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$132,000San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$114,187
Correctional Officer$99,880San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$86,401
Probation Officer$135,890San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$117,552
Forensic Science Technician$109,930San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$95,095
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$84,030San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$72,690
Information Security Analyst$162,310San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$140,407

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.


Alameda at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population76,876Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$132,015Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+60.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)115.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Alameda-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Alameda, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Alameda. The closest is Merritt College in Oakland, CA (5.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Chabot College (12.4 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Alameda are: Attorney ($212,500), Police Supervisor ($175,840), Information Security Analyst ($162,310). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Oakland instead of Alameda?

Oakland, CA is 3.2 miles from Alameda 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 Alameda an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Alameda’s median household income of $132,015 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Alameda while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California 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 Alameda

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

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.