Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in La Quinta, CA (2026)

La Quinta, California has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. La Quinta has a population of about 38,299. Median household income is $97,628 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $195,080 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to La Quinta

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

#1

Crafton Hills College

Yucaipa, CA 54.1 miles from La Quinta BOC Score 54.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,553
Avg net price $11,331/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Platt College-Riverside

Riverside, CA 61.7 miles from La Quinta BOC Score 47.8
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,669
Avg net price $21,889/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 12

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda, CA 62.7 miles from La Quinta BOC Score 96.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,816
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

MiraCosta College

Oceanside, CA 67.0 miles from La Quinta BOC Score 54.0
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,845
Avg net price $7,339/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 89%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

California Baptist University

Riverside, CA 68.6 miles from La Quinta BOC Score 56.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,504
Avg net price $26,285/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

San Diego Christian College

Santee, CA 69.1 miles from La Quinta BOC Score 45.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 41%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,766
Avg net price $992/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 17%
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Alliant International University-San Diego

San Diego, CA 70.4 miles from La Quinta BOC Score 65.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,666
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

California State University-San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA 70.6 miles from La Quinta BOC Score 78.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 94%
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,977
Avg net price $4,564/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,093
Out‑of‑state$20,693
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near La Quinta

La Quinta is part of the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area (BLS area code 40140). 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$195,080CA statewide$183,346
Judge or MagistrateN/ACA statewide
Police Supervisor$159,810Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$150,197
Detective or Criminal Investigator$127,420Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$119,756
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$101,870Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$95,742
Correctional Officer$94,730Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$89,032
Probation Officer$96,970Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$91,137
Forensic Science Technician$82,320Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$77,368
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$61,460Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$57,763
Information Security Analyst$114,970Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$108,055

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.


La Quinta at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population38,299Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$97,628Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+38.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)106.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other La Quinta-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near La Quinta, CA?

Accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near La Quinta 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 La Quinta?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near La Quinta are: Attorney ($195,080), Police Supervisor ($159,810), Detective or Criminal Investigator ($127,420). 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 Indio instead of La Quinta?

Indio, CA is 6.1 miles from La Quinta 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 La Quinta an affordable place to study criminal justice?

La Quinta’s median household income of $97,628 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in La Quinta 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 La Quinta

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

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.