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

Chicago, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $12,000 to $29,360 per year for indexed programs. Chicago has a population of about 2,707,648. Median household income is $75,134 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.3% 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 Chicago

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Chicago

Chicago 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.

Chicago at a Glance

Other Chicago-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Cicero, IL – 3.8 mi away (82,992 pop)
• Berwyn, IL – 5.4 mi away (55,748 pop)
• Oak Park, IL – 6.4 mi away (51,774 pop)
• Burbank, IL – 7.7 mi away (28,886 pop)
• Maywood, IL – 8.6 mi away (23,756 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Chicago. The closest is City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College in Chicago, IL (2.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Taylor Business Institute (4.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Chicago 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 Cicero instead of Chicago?

Cicero, IL is 3.8 miles from Chicago 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 Chicago an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Chicago’s median household income of $75,134 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chicago 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

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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.