Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in South Lake Tahoe, CA (2026)

South Lake Tahoe, California has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. South Lake Tahoe has a population of about 21,319. Median household income is $73,940 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 34.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $178,540 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to South Lake Tahoe

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near South Lake Tahoe

South Lake Tahoe is part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area (BLS area code 40900). 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.

South Lake Tahoe at a Glance

Other South Lake Tahoe-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Carson City, NV – 19.3 mi away (57,522 pop)
• Reno, NV – 42.7 mi away (427,007 pop)
• Sparks, NV – 46.1 mi away (98,345 pop)
• Placerville, CA – 46.2 mi away (30,531 pop)
• Grass Valley, CA – 60.8 mi away (34,508 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near South Lake Tahoe, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near South Lake Tahoe. The closest is Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe, CA (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Folsom Lake College (64.6 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near South Lake Tahoe?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near South Lake Tahoe are: Attorney ($178,540), Police Supervisor ($163,810), Information Security Analyst ($133,570). 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 Carson City instead of South Lake Tahoe?

Carson City, NV is 19.3 miles from South Lake Tahoe 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 South Lake Tahoe an affordable place to study criminal justice?

South Lake Tahoe’s median household income of $73,940 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in South Lake Tahoe 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.