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

Normal, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $4,650 to $17,251 per year for indexed programs. Normal has a population of about 52,908. Median household income is $66,350 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 52.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Bloomington, IL metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Police Supervisor at a median $134,080 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Normal

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

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 Normal. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Illinois State University

Normal, IL 1.1 miles from Normal BOC Score71.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Eureka College

Eureka, IL 19.7 miles from Normal BOC Score37.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#3

Illinois Central College

East Peoria, IL 30.7 miles from Normal BOC Score50.1
Published tuition$4,650 - $17,251
Online programsYes

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#4

Bradley University

Peoria, IL 35.1 miles from Normal BOC Score74.1
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Richland Community College

Decatur, IL 44.3 miles from Normal BOC Score53.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Normal

Normal is part of the Bloomington, IL metro area (BLS area code 14010). 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$124,100Bloomington, IL$132,727
Judge or MagistrateN/AIL statewide
Police Supervisor$134,080Bloomington, IL$143,401
Detective or Criminal Investigator$91,190IL statewide$97,529
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$80,480Bloomington, IL$86,075
Correctional Officer$79,190IL statewide$84,695
Probation Officer$74,390IL statewide$79,561
Forensic Science Technician$124,790IL statewide$133,465
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$60,160Bloomington, IL$64,342
Information Security Analyst$125,110Bloomington, IL$133,807

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.


Normal at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population52,908Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$66,350Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+52.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.5 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Normal-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Normal. The closest is Illinois State University in Normal, IL (1.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Richland Community College (44.3 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Normal are: Police Supervisor ($134,080), Information Security Analyst ($125,110), Forensic Science Technician ($124,790). 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 Bloomington instead of Normal?

Bloomington, IL is 3.3 miles from Normal 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 Normal an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Normal’s median household income of $66,350 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Normal 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

Other Programs Available in Normal

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

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.