Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Elkhart, IN (2026)

Elkhart, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $6,026 to $42,276 per year for indexed programs. Elkhart has a population of about 53,726. Median household income is $47,885 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Indiana, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $183,000 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Elkhart

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Elkhart. Distances are calculated from Elkhart 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 Elkhart. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Goshen College

Goshen, IN 11.4 miles from Elkhart BOC Score65.7
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Bethel University

Mishawaka, IN 12.0 miles from Elkhart BOC Score51.8
Published tuition$33,320 - $42,276
Online programsYes

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#3

Indiana University-South Bend

South Bend, IN 13.6 miles from Elkhart BOC Score43.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Southwestern Michigan College

Dowagiac, MI 19.9 miles from Elkhart BOC Score48.6
Published tuition$6,026 - $14,999
Online programsYes

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#5

Glen Oaks Community College

Centreville, MI 27.3 miles from Elkhart BOC Score46.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Elkhart

Elkhart is part of the Elkhart-Goshen, IN metro area (BLS area code 21140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$126,860IN statewide$140,487
Judge or Magistrate$183,000IN statewide$202,658
Police Supervisor$81,540IN statewide$90,299
Detective or Criminal Investigator$75,850Elkhart-Goshen, IN$83,998
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$73,370Elkhart-Goshen, IN$81,251
Correctional Officer$48,340IN statewide$53,533
Probation Officer$54,490Elkhart-Goshen, IN$60,343
Forensic Science Technician$66,520IN statewide$73,666
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$48,410Elkhart-Goshen, IN$53,610
Information Security Analyst$95,960Elkhart-Goshen, IN$106,268

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.


Elkhart at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population53,726Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$47,885Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+17.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)90.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Elkhart-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Elkhart, IN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Elkhart. The closest is Goshen College in Goshen, IN (11.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Glen Oaks Community College (27.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Elkhart are: Judge or Magistrate ($183,000), Attorney ($126,860), Information Security Analyst ($95,960). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in South Bend instead of Elkhart?

South Bend, IN is 15.9 miles from Elkhart 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 Elkhart an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Elkhart’s median household income of $47,885 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Elkhart while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Indiana 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 Elkhart

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

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.