Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Panama City, FL (2026)

Panama City, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $4,920 to $9,863 per year for indexed programs. Panama City has a population of about 34,211. Median household income is $61,125 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.5% 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 Panama City

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

#1

Gulf Coast State College

Panama City, FL 6.6 miles from Panama City BOC Score 64.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,359
Avg net price $4,709/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 62

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Panama City

Panama City is part of the Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL metro area (BLS area code 37460). 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$126,670Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL$130,185
Judge or Magistrate$186,040FL statewide$191,202
Police Supervisor$97,180Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL$99,877
Detective or Criminal Investigator$65,040Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL$66,845
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$58,750Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL$60,380
Correctional Officer$47,130Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL$48,438
Probation Officer$46,430Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL$47,718
Forensic Science Technician$64,140FL statewide$65,920
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$51,340Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL$52,765
Information Security Analyst$116,880Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL$120,123

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.


Panama City at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population34,211Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$61,125Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+25.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Panama City-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Panama City, FL?

Accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Panama City 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 Panama City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Panama City are: Judge or Magistrate ($186,040), Attorney ($126,670), Information Security Analyst ($116,880). 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 Lynn Haven instead of Panama City?

Lynn Haven, FL is 3.0 miles from Panama City 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 Panama City an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Panama City’s median household income of $61,125 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Panama City 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 Panama City

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.