Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in National City, CA (2026)

National City, California has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $43,550 to $56,664 per year for indexed programs. National City has a population of about 55,960. Median household income is $64,248 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $178,220 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to National City

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near National City. Distances are calculated from National City city center.

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near National City

National City is part of the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (BLS area code 41740). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

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.

National City at a Glance

Other National City-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Coronado, CA – 3.6 mi away (25,952 pop)
• Chula Vista, CA – 5.5 mi away (267,172 pop)
• Lemon Grove, CA – 6.0 mi away (26,860 pop)
• Imperial Beach, CA – 6.8 mi away (27,418 pop)
• La Mesa, CA – 8.5 mi away (59,948 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near National City, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near National City. The closest is UEI College-Chula Vista in Chula Vista, CA (4.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Point Loma Nazarene University (9.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near National City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near National City are: Attorney ($178,220), Police Supervisor ($148,310), Information Security Analyst ($132,120). 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 Coronado instead of National City?

Coronado, CA is 3.6 miles from National City 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 National City an affordable place to study criminal justice?

National City’s median household income of $64,248 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in National City 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

• 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 California
• Criminal Justice programs by state

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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.