Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Estero, FL (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

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

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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

Bonita Springs, FL – 5.0 mi away (382,869 pop)
Fort Myers, FL – 13.5 mi away (77,146 pop)
Naples, FL – 19.1 mi away (21,845 pop)
Cape Coral, FL – 19.4 mi away (617,896 pop)
North Port, FL – 50.1 mi away (190,003 pop)

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 (2.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Charlotte Technical College (45.4 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: 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.

Back to Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Florida (2026)

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