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

Zion, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Zion has a population of about 24,466. Median household income is $62,574 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.1% 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 Zion

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Zion

Zion 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.

Zion at a Glance

Other Zion-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Pleasant Prairie, WI – 5.0 mi away (20,734 pop)
• Waukegan, IL – 6.3 mi away (88,182 pop)
• Gurnee, IL – 7.6 mi away (30,957 pop)
• Kenosha, WI – 8.8 mi away (124,580 pop)
• North Chicago, IL – 9.9 mi away (29,951 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Zion. The closest is Herzing University-Kenosha in Kenosha, WI (8.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Parkside (13.0 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

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

Pleasant Prairie, WI is 5.0 miles from Zion 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 Zion an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Zion’s median household income of $62,574 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Zion 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 Zion

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

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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.