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

Highland, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $5,093 to $31,758 per year for indexed programs. Highland has a population of about 5,188. Median household income is $95,696 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.0% 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 Highland

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

#1

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, IN 2.4 miles from Highland BOC Score50.1
Published tuition$8,419 - $16,287
Online programsYes

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#2

Indiana University-Northwest

Gary, IN 6.3 miles from Highland BOC Score44.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Calumet College of Saint Joseph

Whiting, IN 8.7 miles from Highland BOC Score33.2
Published tuition$22,650 - $31,758
Online programsYes

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#4

Prairie State College

Chicago Heights, IL 9.3 miles from Highland BOC Score47.6
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

South Suburban College

South Holland, IL 9.7 miles from Highland BOC Score48.6
Published tuition$5,093 - $12,683
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 Highland

Highland 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 Indiana statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$165,660Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$159,903
Judge or Magistrate$146,400Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$141,313
Police Supervisor$135,080Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$130,386
Detective or Criminal Investigator$102,260Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$98,707
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$107,810Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$104,064
Correctional Officer$84,550Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$81,612
Probation Officer$67,610Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$65,261
Forensic Science Technician$112,790Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$108,871
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$70,550Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$68,098
Information Security Analyst$125,310Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$120,956

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.


Highland at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population5,188Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$95,696Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+31.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Highland-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Highland. The closest is Purdue University Northwest in Hammond, IN (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is South Suburban College (9.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Highland are: Attorney ($165,660), Judge or Magistrate ($146,400), Police Supervisor ($135,080). 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 Munster instead of Highland?

Munster, IN is 2.3 miles from Highland 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 Highland an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Highland’s median household income of $95,696 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Highland 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 Highland

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

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.