Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Athens, GA (2026)

Athens, Georgia has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $3,172 to $18,033 per year for indexed programs. Athens has a population of about 137,582. In Georgia, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $133,660 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Athens

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Athens. Distances are calculated from Athens city center.

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Athens

Athens is part of the Athens-Clarke County, GA metro area (BLS area code 12020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.

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.

Athens at a Glance

Other Athens-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Winder, GA – 20.4 mi away (42,330 pop)
• Gainesville, GA – 35.3 mi away (154,859 pop)
• Lawrenceville, GA – 35.8 mi away (30,782 pop)
• Sugar Hill, GA – 40.8 mi away (22,197 pop)
• Duluth, GA – 44.9 mi away (29,331 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Athens, GA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Athens. The closest is University of Georgia in Athens, GA (0.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Georgia Gwinnett College (36.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Athens are: Judge or Magistrate ($133,660), Information Security Analyst ($128,970), Attorney ($105,360). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Georgia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Winder instead of Athens?

Winder, GA is 20.4 miles from Athens 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.

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

• Criminal Justice accreditation: what to look for
• Criminal Justice concentrations and specializations
• Is a Criminal Justice degree worth it?
• Main Criminal Justice degree guide
• Online Criminal Justice programs in Georgia
• Criminal Justice programs by state

Other Programs Available in Athens

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

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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.