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

Pekin, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $4,650 to $17,251 per year for indexed programs. Pekin has a population of about 31,812. Median household income is $58,355 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Peoria, IL metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $161,150 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Pekin

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Pekin

Pekin is part of the Peoria, IL metro area (BLS area code 37900). 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.

Pekin at a Glance

Other Pekin-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• East Peoria, IL – 8.6 mi away (22,939 pop)
• Peoria, IL – 12.7 mi away (265,218 pop)
• Normal, IL – 33.7 mi away (54,264 pop)
• Bloomington, IL – 35.1 mi away (135,015 pop)
• Galesburg, IL – 47.3 mi away (34,620 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Pekin. The closest is Bradley University in Peoria, IL (9.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Carl Sandburg College (49.9 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Pekin are: Attorney ($161,150), Information Security Analyst ($132,090), 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 East Peoria instead of Pekin?

East Peoria, IL is 8.6 miles from Pekin 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 Pekin an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Pekin’s median household income of $58,355 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pekin 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 Pekin

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

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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.