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

Portage, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $5,093 to $31,758 per year for indexed programs. Portage has a population of about 37,951. Median household income is $72,833 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.0% 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 Portage

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Portage

Portage 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.

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.

Portage at a Glance

Other Portage-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Hobart, IN – 7.0 mi away (28,248 pop)
• Gary, IN – 8.7 mi away (76,424 pop)
• Merrillville, IN – 10.7 mi away (34,994 pop)
• Highland, IN – 14.7 mi away (22,737 pop)
• Crown Point, IN – 14.7 mi away (29,176 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Portage. The closest is Indiana University-Northwest in Gary, IN (8.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey College (22.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

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

Hobart, IN is 7.0 miles from Portage 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 Portage an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Portage’s median household income of $72,833 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Portage 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

• 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 Indiana
• 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.