Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Palm Bay, FL (2026)

Palm Bay, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Palm Bay has a population of about 125,273. Median household income is $67,521 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.6% 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 Palm Bay

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

#1

Florida Institute of Technology-Online

Melbourne, FL 5.9 miles from Palm Bay
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Eastern Florida State College

Melbourne, FL 12.8 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 63.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,195
Avg net price $6,440/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,496
Out‑of‑state$9,739
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 94

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

#3

Indian River State College

Fort Pierce, FL 43.3 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,315
Avg net price $3,815/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 125

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Ana G. Mendez University

Orlando, FL 52.1 miles from Palm Bay
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Avg net price $19,775/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL 53.4 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 80.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,308
Avg net price $10,411/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,368
Out‑of‑state$22,467
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Webber International University

Babson Park, FL 54.0 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 23.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Warner University

Lake Wales, FL 56.6 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 36.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 16

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

DeVry University-Florida

Orlando, FL 58.1 miles from Palm Bay BOC Score 26.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 24%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,987
Avg net price $29,477/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Palm Bay

Palm Bay is part of the Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL metro area (BLS area code 37340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$129,640Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$129,640
Judge or Magistrate$186,040FL statewide$186,040
Police Supervisor$92,050Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$92,050
Detective or Criminal Investigator$63,130Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$63,130
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$60,520Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$60,520
Correctional Officer$59,980Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$59,980
Probation Officer$47,130Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$47,130
Forensic Science Technician$51,330Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$51,330
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$58,250Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$58,250
Information Security Analyst$122,120Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$122,120

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.


Palm Bay at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population125,273Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$67,521Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.0 (at U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Palm Bay-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Palm Bay, FL?

Accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Palm Bay are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near Palm Bay?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Palm Bay are: Judge or Magistrate ($186,040), Attorney ($129,640), Information Security Analyst ($122,120). 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 West Melbourne instead of Palm Bay?

West Melbourne, FL is 5.8 miles from Palm Bay 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 Palm Bay an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Palm Bay’s median household income of $67,521 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Palm Bay 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 Palm Bay

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.