Best Criminal Justice Schools Near Estero, FL (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Estero, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $3,110 to $25,162 per year for indexed programs. Estero has a population of about 37,258. Median household income is $100,459 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 49.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Florida, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $186,040 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Estero

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, FL 2.9 miles from Estero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
68.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 63%
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,560
Avg net price $12,568/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,118
Out‑of‑state$25,162
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Florida SouthWestern State College

Fort Myers, FL 10.3 miles from Estero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,421
Avg net price $7,247/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

South Florida State College

Avon Park, FL 80.9 miles from Estero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,990
Avg net price $3,877/yr
Tuition
In‑state$3,165
Out‑of‑state$11,859
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

State College of Florida-Manatee-Sarasota

Bradenton, FL 85.3 miles from Estero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,318
Avg net price $22,356/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Warner University

Lake Wales, FL 97.4 miles from Estero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,086
Avg net price $19,748/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 45%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, FL 98.7 miles from Estero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
55.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,209
Avg net price $30,371/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 131

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Webber International University

Babson Park, FL 98.8 miles from Estero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
23.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 35%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,606
Avg net price $29,529/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 48%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Florida National University-Main Campus

Hialeah, FL 99.4 miles from Estero
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,928
Avg net price $23,043/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Estero

Estero is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL metro area (BLS area code 15980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney $129,450 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL $126,540
Judge or Magistrate $186,040 FL statewide $181,857
Police Supervisor $97,380 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL $95,191
Detective or Criminal Investigator $76,310 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL $74,594
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer $76,710 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL $74,985
Correctional Officer $44,660 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL $43,656
Probation Officer $48,530 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL $47,439
Forensic Science Technician $63,150 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL $61,730
Paralegal or Legal Assistant $60,700 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL $59,335
Information Security Analyst $131,500 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL $128,543

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.

Estero at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 37,258 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $100,459 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 49.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 102.3 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Estero-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Estero, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Estero. The closest is Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, FL (2.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Suncoast Technical College (73.5 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Estero are: Judge or Magistrate ($186,040), Information Security Analyst ($131,500), Attorney ($129,450). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Bonita Springs instead of Estero?

Bonita Springs, FL is 5.0 miles from Estero 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 Estero an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Estero’s median household income of $100,459 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Estero while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida 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 Estero

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

Back to Best Criminal Justice Schools in Florida (2026)