Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Bardstown, KY (2026)

Bardstown, Kentucky has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $26,990 to $60,247 per year for indexed programs. Bardstown has a population of about 13,673. Median household income is $49,781 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 24.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $156,550 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Bardstown

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

#1

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College

Elizabethtown, KY 24.7 miles from Bardstown BOC Score55.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#2

Sullivan University

Louisville, KY 29.7 miles from Bardstown BOC Score43.9
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Bellarmine University

Louisville, KY 30.9 miles from Bardstown BOC Score63.0
Published tuition$47,180 - $60,247
Online programsYes

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#4

University of Louisville

Louisville, KY 32.3 miles from Bardstown BOC Score59.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Campbellsville University

Campbellsville, KY 33.3 miles from Bardstown BOC Score33.4
Published tuition$26,990 - $40,924
Online programsYes

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Bardstown

Bardstown is part of the Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN metro area (BLS area code 31140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$124,530Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$133,759
Judge or Magistrate$156,550Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$168,153
Police Supervisor$95,610Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$102,696
Detective or Criminal Investigator$83,620Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$89,817
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$63,220Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$67,905
Correctional Officer$45,330Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$48,690
Probation Officer$58,380Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$62,707
Forensic Science Technician$61,470KY statewide$66,026
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$61,270Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$65,811
Information Security Analyst$106,760Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$114,672

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.


Bardstown at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population13,673Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$49,781Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+24.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)93.1 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Bardstown-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Bardstown, KY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Bardstown. The closest is Elizabethtown Community and Technical College in Elizabethtown, KY (24.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Campbellsville University (33.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Bardstown are: Judge or Magistrate ($156,550), Attorney ($124,530), Information Security Analyst ($106,760). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Kentucky statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Elizabethtown instead of Bardstown?

Elizabethtown, KY is 24.4 miles from Bardstown 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 Bardstown an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Bardstown’s median household income of $49,781 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Bardstown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Kentucky 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 Bardstown

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

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.