Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in West Des Moines, IA (2026)

West Des Moines, Iowa has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $10,497 to $27,683 per year for indexed programs. West Des Moines has a population of about 69,893. Median household income is $84,925 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.6% 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 West Des Moines

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near West Des Moines

West Des Moines 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.

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.

West Des Moines at a Glance

Other West Des Moines-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Urbandale, IA – 6.0 mi away (43,018 pop)
• Des Moines, IA – 8.9 mi away (476,689 pop)
• Johnston, IA – 9.7 mi away (21,114 pop)
• Ankeny, IA – 15.2 mi away (58,627 pop)
• Ames, IA – 33.6 mi away (67,841 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near West Des Moines, IA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near West Des Moines. The closest is Grand View University in Des Moines, IA (10.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southwestern Community College (45.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near West Des Moines?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near West Des Moines 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 Urbandale instead of West Des Moines?

Urbandale, IA is 6.0 miles from West Des Moines 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 West Des Moines an affordable place to study criminal justice?

West Des Moines’s median household income of $84,925 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in West Des Moines 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

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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.