Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in New Bedford, MA (2026)

New Bedford, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. New Bedford has a population of about 100,731. Median household income is $56,025 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 16.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $229,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to New Bedford

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near New Bedford. Distances are calculated from New Bedford city center.

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near New Bedford

New Bedford is part of the Providence-Warwick, RI-MA metro area (BLS area code 39300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

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.

New Bedford at a Glance

Other New Bedford-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Fall River, MA – 8.7 mi away (88,930 pop)
• Taunton, MA – 17.9 mi away (56,843 pop)
• East Providence, RI – 23.3 mi away (47,337 pop)
• Newport, RI – 23.5 mi away (24,779 pop)
• Warwick, RI – 25.4 mi away (81,579 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near New Bedford, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near New Bedford. The closest is Bristol Community College in Fall River, MA (9.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Johnson & Wales University-Providence (27.1 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near New Bedford?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near New Bedford are: Judge or Magistrate ($229,760), Attorney ($133,000), Information Security Analyst ($109,940). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Fall River instead of New Bedford?

Fall River, MA is 8.7 miles from New Bedford 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 New Bedford an affordable place to study criminal justice?

New Bedford’s median household income of $56,025 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in New Bedford while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Massachusetts 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

• 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 Massachusetts
• Criminal Justice programs by state

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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.