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

Niles, Illinois has a population of about 30,262. The city’s median household income is $78,563 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 72 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Niles, with tuition ranging from $4,920 to $47,751 per year for indexed programs. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $166,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Niles

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 72 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Niles. Distances are calculated from Niles city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Oakton CollegeDes Plaines, IL4.3 miContact school for pricing
City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright CollegeChicago, IL4.9 miContact school for pricing
Northeastern Illinois UniversityChicago, IL5.7 miContact school for pricing
North Park UniversityChicago, IL6.3 miContact school for pricing
Triton CollegeRiver Grove, IL7.9 mi$4,920 - $14,880
Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL8.1 miContact school for pricing
City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman CollegeChicago, IL8.9 miContact school for pricing
Concordia University-ChicagoRiver Forest, IL8.9 miContact school for pricing
Elmhurst UniversityElmhurst, IL11.4 miContact school for pricing
Trinity International University-IllinoisDeerfield, IL12.3 mi$12,320 - $47,751

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Niles

Niles 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$166,090Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$160,319
Judge or Magistrate$141,740Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$136,815
Police Supervisor$136,440Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$131,699
Detective or Criminal Investigator$102,370Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$98,813
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$108,890Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$105,106
Correctional Officer$85,400Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$82,432
Probation Officer$70,820Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$68,359
Forensic Science Technician$99,670Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$96,207
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$66,930Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$64,604
Information Security Analyst$116,520Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$112,471

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Niles at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population30,262Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$78,563Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+39.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Niles-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 72 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Niles. The closest is Oakton College in Des Plaines, IL (4.3 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Trinity International University-Illinois (12.3 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Niles are: Attorney ($166,090), Judge or Magistrate ($141,740), Police Supervisor ($136,440). 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 Morton Grove instead of Niles?

Morton Grove, IL is 1.5 miles from Niles 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 Niles an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Niles’s median household income of $78,563 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Niles 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.


Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.