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

Waukegan, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $12,320 to $47,751 per year for indexed programs. Waukegan has a population of about 88,919. Median household income is $70,578 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.0% 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 Waukegan

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Waukegan

Waukegan 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.

Waukegan at a Glance

Other Waukegan-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Gurnee, IL – 3.4 mi away (30,957 pop)
• North Chicago, IL – 3.7 mi away (29,951 pop)
• Zion, IL – 6.3 mi away (24,029 pop)
• Libertyville, IL – 7.5 mi away (20,405 pop)
• Grayslake, IL – 8.5 mi away (20,831 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Waukegan. The closest is College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL (7.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Carthage College (17.7 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

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

Gurnee, IL is 3.4 miles from Waukegan 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 Waukegan an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Waukegan’s median household income of $70,578 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waukegan 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.