Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Lewiston, ME (2026)

Lewiston, Maine has a population of about 37,886. The city’s median household income is $56,558 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 17 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Lewiston, with tuition ranging from $6,720 to $22,877 per year for indexed programs. In Maine, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $156,770 annually (BLS, May 2024).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Lewiston

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 17 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Lewiston. Distances are calculated from Lewiston city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Central Maine Community CollegeAuburn, ME4.5 miContact school for pricing
Saint Joseph’s College of MaineStandish, ME24.1 miContact school for pricing
University of Maine at AugustaAugusta, ME25.1 miContact school for pricing
University of Southern MainePortland, ME30.1 miContact school for pricing
Southern Maine Community CollegeSouth Portland, ME30.9 miContact school for pricing
Thomas CollegeWaterville, ME38.9 miContact school for pricing
White Mountains Community CollegeBerlin, NH56.7 mi$7,050 - $20,388
York County Community CollegeWells, ME58.2 miContact school for pricing
Lakes Region Community CollegeLaconia, NH76.1 mi$6,720 - $22,877
Great Bay Community CollegePortsmouth, NH77.2 mi$7,200 - $22,016

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Lewiston

Lewiston is part of the Lewiston-Auburn, ME metro area (BLS area code 30340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maine statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney$96,200Lewiston-Auburn, ME$101,584
Judge or Magistrate$156,770ME statewide$165,544
Police Supervisor$87,530Lewiston-Auburn, ME$92,429
Detective or Criminal Investigator$80,750ME statewide$85,269
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer$69,180Lewiston-Auburn, ME$73,052
Correctional Officer$51,270ME statewide$54,139
Probation Officer$69,060ME statewide$72,925
Forensic Science Technician$68,710ME statewide$72,555
Paralegal or Legal Assistant$48,450Lewiston-Auburn, ME$51,162
Information Security Analyst$93,710ME statewide$98,955

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Lewiston at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population37,886Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$56,558Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+21.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)94.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Lewiston-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Lewiston, ME?

Our directory has 17 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Lewiston. The closest is Central Maine Community College in Auburn, ME (4.5 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Great Bay Community College (77.2 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Lewiston are: Judge or Magistrate ($156,770), Attorney ($96,200), Information Security Analyst ($93,710). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Maine statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Auburn instead of Lewiston?

Auburn, ME is 4.0 miles from Lewiston 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 Lewiston an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Lewiston’s median household income of $56,558 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lewiston while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Maine 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.


Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.