Grand View University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
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Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Urbandale, IA (2026)
Urbandale, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $10,497 to $27,683 per year for indexed programs. Urbandale has a population of about 46,026. Median household income is $113,086 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 51.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $147,510 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Urbandale
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Urbandale. Distances are calculated from Urbandale 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 Urbandale. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Des Moines Area Community College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Simpson College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Iowa State University
Published tuition$10,497 - $27,683
Online programsYes
Southwestern Community College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Iowa schools on the Iowa criminal justice page.
Criminal Justice Wages Near Urbandale
Urbandale is part of the Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA metro area (BLS area code 19780). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Iowa statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney | $134,560 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $146,739 |
| Judge or Magistrate | $147,510 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $160,862 |
| Police Supervisor | $117,790 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $128,451 |
| Detective or Criminal Investigator | $79,560 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $86,761 |
| Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $81,810 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $89,215 |
| Correctional Officer | $63,230 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $68,953 |
| Probation Officer | $79,370 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $86,554 |
| Forensic Science Technician | $71,160 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $77,601 |
| Paralegal or Legal Assistant | $60,080 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $65,518 |
| Information Security Analyst | $123,740 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $134,940 |
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.
Urbandale at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 46,026 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $113,086 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 51.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 91.7 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Urbandale-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs
- Johnston, IA – 4.6 mi away (21,114 pop)
- West Des Moines, IA – 6.0 mi away (64,560 pop)
- Des Moines, IA – 10.0 mi away (476,689 pop)
- Ankeny, IA – 11.1 mi away (58,627 pop)
- Ames, IA – 27.9 mi away (67,841 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Urbandale, IA?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Urbandale. The closest is Grand View University in Des Moines, IA (9.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southwestern Community College (49.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near Urbandale?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Urbandale are: Judge or Magistrate ($147,510), Attorney ($134,560), Information Security Analyst ($123,740). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Iowa statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Johnston instead of Urbandale?
Johnston, IA is 4.6 miles from Urbandale 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 Urbandale an affordable place to study criminal justice?
Urbandale’s median household income of $113,086 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Urbandale while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Iowa 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 Iowa
- Criminal Justice programs by state
Other Programs Available in Urbandale
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Urbandale:
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Related from Our Editorial Library
- Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
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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.
Back to Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Iowa (2026)
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