Bluegrass Community and Technical College
Published tuition$4,706 - $13,281
Online programsYes
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Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Lexington, KY (2026)
Lexington, Kentucky has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $4,706 to $13,281 per year for indexed programs. Lexington has a population of about 312,495. In Kentucky, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $150,650 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Lexington
The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Lexington. Distances are calculated from Lexington 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 Lexington. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Midway University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Eastern Kentucky University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Kentucky State University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Maysville Community and Technical College
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Kentucky schools on the Kentucky criminal justice page.
Criminal Justice Wages Near Lexington
Lexington is part of the Lexington-Fayette, KY metro area (BLS area code 30460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Kentucky statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney | $111,040 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $119,526 |
| Judge or Magistrate | $150,650 | KY statewide | $162,164 |
| Police Supervisor | $96,140 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $103,488 |
| Detective or Criminal Investigator | $84,900 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $91,389 |
| Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $61,720 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $66,437 |
| Correctional Officer | $51,510 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $55,447 |
| Probation Officer | $59,610 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $64,166 |
| Forensic Science Technician | $61,470 | KY statewide | $66,168 |
| Paralegal or Legal Assistant | $63,640 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $68,504 |
| Information Security Analyst | $102,190 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $110,000 |
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.
Lexington at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 92.9 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Lexington-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs
- Nicholasville, KY – 12.0 mi away (30,052 pop)
- Georgetown, KY – 13.5 mi away (35,353 pop)
- Winchester, KY – 14.9 mi away (25,961 pop)
- Richmond, KY – 23.8 mi away (39,267 pop)
- Frankfort, KY – 24.4 mi away (39,034 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Lexington, KY?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Lexington. The closest is Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington, KY (2.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Maysville Community and Technical College (53.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near Lexington?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Lexington are: Judge or Magistrate ($150,650), Attorney ($111,040), Information Security Analyst ($102,190). 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 Nicholasville instead of Lexington?
Nicholasville, KY is 12.0 miles from Lexington 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.
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 Kentucky
- Criminal Justice programs by state
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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 Kentucky (2026)
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