Best Criminal Justice Schools Near McDonough, GA (2026)

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

McDonough, Georgia has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. McDonough has a population of about 30,056. Median household income is $77,734 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $144,790 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to McDonough

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near McDonough, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from McDonough 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 McDonough. 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

Clayton State University

Morrow, GA 14.8 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 45%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,179
Avg net price $8,365/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Atlanta Metropolitan State College

Atlanta, GA 23.6 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
32.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 18%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,252
Avg net price $5,258/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 41%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Georgia State University

Atlanta, GA 25.5 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,384
Avg net price $15,931/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 133

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Herzing University-Atlanta

Atlanta, GA 25.6 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
23.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,909
Avg net price $21,679/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 36%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Clark Atlanta University

Atlanta, GA 26.1 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,712
Avg net price $37,702/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Gordon State College

Barnesville, GA 27.2 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
34.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,871
Avg net price $8,105/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 50%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Strayer University-Georgia

Chamblee, GA 30.5 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
Avg net price $18,318/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 44%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

American InterContinental University-Atlanta

Atlanta, GA 36.4 miles from McDonough
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
26.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,144
Avg net price $16,482/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 30%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near McDonough

McDonough is part of the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA metro area (BLS area code 12060). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Georgia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney $138,210 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $138,072
Judge or Magistrate $144,790 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $144,645
Police Supervisor $81,860 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $81,778
Detective or Criminal Investigator $69,900 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $69,830
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer $60,910 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $60,849
Correctional Officer $49,380 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $49,331
Probation Officer $61,270 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $61,209
Forensic Science Technician $63,840 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $63,776
Paralegal or Legal Assistant $64,080 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $64,016
Information Security Analyst $131,490 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $131,359

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.

McDonough at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 30,056 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $77,734 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.4% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.1 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other McDonough-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near McDonough. The closest is Clayton State University in Morrow, GA (14.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is DeVry University-Georgia (24.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near McDonough are: Judge or Magistrate ($144,790), Attorney ($138,210), Information Security Analyst ($131,490). 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 Stockbridge instead of McDonough?

Stockbridge, GA is 7.5 miles from McDonough 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 McDonough an affordable place to study criminal justice?

McDonough’s median household income of $77,734 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in McDonough while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Georgia 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 McDonough

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

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 Georgia (2026)