Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Braidwood, IL (2026)

Braidwood, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Braidwood has a population of about 6,175. Median household income is $83,365 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $165,660 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Braidwood

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Braidwood

Braidwood is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois 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.

Braidwood at a Glance

Other Braidwood-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Joliet, IL – 17.7 mi away (148,262 pop)
• New Lenox, IL – 21.1 mi away (26,217 pop)
• Crest Hill, IL – 21.7 mi away (21,169 pop)
• Kankakee, IL – 22.0 mi away (78,682 pop)
• Plainfield, IL – 24.2 mi away (42,933 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Braidwood, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Braidwood. The closest is Joliet Junior College in Joliet, IL (15.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lewis University (24.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Braidwood are: Attorney ($165,660), Judge or Magistrate ($146,400), Police Supervisor ($135,080). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Joliet instead of Braidwood?

Joliet, IL is 17.7 miles from Braidwood 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 Braidwood an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Braidwood’s median household income of $83,365 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Braidwood while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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

• 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 Illinois
• Criminal Justice programs by state

Other Programs Available in Braidwood

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

• Nursing programs in Braidwood, IL
• Business Administration programs in Braidwood, IL
• Computer Science programs in Braidwood, IL
• Psychology programs in Braidwood, IL
• Education programs in Braidwood, IL
• Engineering programs in Braidwood, IL
• Technology programs in Braidwood, IL
• Liberal Arts programs in Braidwood, IL
• Healthcare programs in Braidwood, IL
• Cybersecurity programs in Braidwood, IL
• Accounting programs in Braidwood, IL
• Healthcare Administration programs in Braidwood, IL
• Social Work programs in Braidwood, IL
• Counseling programs in Braidwood, IL

Related from Our Editorial Library

• Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
• Best Online Colleges Ranking
• Effective Learning Strategies for Online Students

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.