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

Temecula, California has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $1,354 to $13,997 per year for indexed programs. Temecula has a population of about 110,404. Median household income is $117,840 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.2% 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 Temecula

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

#1

San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula

Temecula, CA 3.0 miles from Temecula BOC Score53.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#2

Mt San Jacinto Community College District

San Jacinto, CA 22.1 miles from Temecula BOC Score40.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#3

MiraCosta College

Oceanside, CA 23.1 miles from Temecula BOC Score64.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Palomar College

San Marcos, CA 23.8 miles from Temecula BOC Score55.8
Published tuition$1,354 - $13,997
Online programsYes

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#5

UEI College-Oceanside

Oceanside, CA 24.0 miles from Temecula BOC Score37.3
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 Temecula

Temecula 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.


Temecula at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population110,404Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$117,840Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+39.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)106.4 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Temecula-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Temecula. The closest is San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula in Temecula, CA (3.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is UEI College-Oceanside (24.0 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Temecula 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 Murrieta instead of Temecula?

Murrieta, CA is 6.5 miles from Temecula 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 Temecula an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Temecula’s median household income of $117,840 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Temecula 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 Temecula

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

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.