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

Paradise, California has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $1,128 to $25,590 per year for indexed programs. Paradise has a population of about 211. Median household income is $106,250 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Information Security Analyst at a median $138,570 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Paradise

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

#1

Butte College

Oroville, CA 7.7 miles from Paradise BOC Score67.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

California State University-Chico

Chico, CA 13.0 miles from Paradise BOC Score79.3
Published tuition$8,064 - $25,590
Online programsYes

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#3

Feather River Community College District

Quincy, CA 36.4 miles from Paradise BOC Score43.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Yuba College

Marysville, CA 42.2 miles from Paradise BOC Score47.1
Published tuition$1,128 - $12,200
Online programs--

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#5

William Jessup University

Rocklin, CA 66.9 miles from Paradise BOC Score51.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Paradise

Paradise is part of the Chico, CA metro area (BLS area code 17020). 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$131,710Chico, CA$130,148
Judge or MagistrateN/ACA statewide
Police Supervisor$124,660Chico, CA$123,182
Detective or Criminal Investigator$124,840CA statewide$123,360
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$94,760Chico, CA$93,636
Correctional Officer$96,370CA statewide$95,227
Probation Officer$76,250Chico, CA$75,346
Forensic Science Technician$102,100CA statewide$100,889
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$58,280Chico, CA$57,589
Information Security Analyst$138,570CA statewide$136,927

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.


Paradise at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population211Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$106,250Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+54.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)101.2 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Paradise-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Paradise. The closest is Butte College in Oroville, CA (7.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is William Jessup University (66.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Paradise are: Information Security Analyst ($138,570), Attorney ($131,710), Detective or Criminal Investigator ($124,840). 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 Chico instead of Paradise?

Chico, CA is 11.1 miles from Paradise 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 Paradise an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Paradise’s median household income of $106,250 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Paradise 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 Paradise

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

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.