Best Criminal Justice Schools Near Topeka, KS (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Topeka, Kansas has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Topeka has a population of about 126,103. Median household income is $55,902 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 29.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Topeka, KS metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $148,910 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Topeka

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Topeka, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Topeka city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

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 Topeka. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Washburn University

Topeka, KS 0.4 miles from Topeka
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,774
Avg net price $15,280/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 83

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Topeka

Topeka is part of the Topeka, KS metro area (BLS area code 45820). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kansas statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney $102,500 Topeka, KS $115,428
Judge or Magistrate $148,910 Topeka, KS $167,691
Police Supervisor $105,910 Topeka, KS $119,268
Detective or Criminal Investigator $57,700 Topeka, KS $64,977
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer $63,920 Topeka, KS $71,982
Correctional Officer $59,650 Topeka, KS $67,173
Probation Officer $66,520 Topeka, KS $74,910
Forensic Science Technician $86,670 Topeka, KS $97,601
Paralegal or Legal Assistant $50,350 Topeka, KS $56,700
Information Security Analyst $100,150 Topeka, KS $112,782

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.

Topeka at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 126,103 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $55,902 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 29.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 88.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Topeka-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Topeka, KS?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Topeka. The closest is Washburn University in Topeka, KS (0.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is MidAmerica Nazarene University (50.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Topeka are: Judge or Magistrate ($148,910), Police Supervisor ($105,910), Attorney ($102,500). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kansas statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lawrence instead of Topeka?

Lawrence, KS is 23.7 miles from Topeka 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 Topeka an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Topeka’s median household income of $55,902 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Topeka while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kansas 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 Topeka

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

Data verified: September 6, 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.

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