Best Criminal Justice Schools Near Sanford, ME (2026)

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

Sanford, Maine has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $4,156 to $15,075 per year for indexed programs. Sanford has a population of about 22,095. Median household income is $70,570 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Maine, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $161,470 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Sanford

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Sanford, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Sanford 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 Sanford. 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

York County Community College

Wells, ME 11.7 miles from Sanford
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
56.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,873
Avg net price $5,875/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,156
Out‑of‑state$7,036
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Southern Maine

Portland, ME 29.3 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 49%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,958
Avg net price $13,596/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 94

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Southern Maine Community College

South Portland, ME 30.6 miles from Sanford
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,661
Avg net price $11,086/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME 31.0 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,045
Avg net price $27,555/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Central Maine Community College

Auburn, ME 55.5 miles from Sanford
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,448
Avg net price $6,975/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,140
Out‑of‑state$7,020
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Maine at Augusta

Augusta, ME 79.2 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
35.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,342
Avg net price $10,924/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,888
Out‑of‑state$22,178
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:Accreditor: New England Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Thomas College

Waterville, ME 93.4 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,991
Avg net price $18,885/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Husson University

Bangor, ME 137.6 miles from Sanford
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,025
Avg net price $21,005/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Sanford

Sanford is part of the Portland-South Portland, ME metro area (BLS area code 38860). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Maine statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney $129,990 Portland-South Portland, ME $127,566
Judge or Magistrate $161,470 ME statewide $158,459
Police Supervisor $96,760 Portland-South Portland, ME $94,956
Detective or Criminal Investigator $79,030 Portland-South Portland, ME $77,556
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer $73,600 Portland-South Portland, ME $72,228
Correctional Officer $54,930 Portland-South Portland, ME $53,906
Probation Officer $68,410 Portland-South Portland, ME $67,134
Forensic Science Technician $70,870 ME statewide $69,549
Paralegal or Legal Assistant $64,280 Portland-South Portland, ME $63,081
Information Security Analyst $103,440 Portland-South Portland, ME $101,511

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.

Sanford at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 22,095 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $70,570 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 23.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 101.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Sanford-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Sanford. The closest is York County Community College in Wells, ME (11.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Saint Joseph’s College of Maine (31.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Sanford are: Judge or Magistrate ($161,470), Attorney ($129,990), Information Security Analyst ($103,440). 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 Rochester instead of Sanford?

Rochester, NH is 14.1 miles from Sanford 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 Sanford an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Sanford’s median household income of $70,570 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sanford 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.

Learn More About Criminal Justice Programs

Other Programs Available in Sanford

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

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.

Back to Best Criminal Justice Schools in Maine: Online Programs (2026)