Best Criminal Justice Schools Near Kalamazoo, MI (2026)

Kalamazoo, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Kalamazoo has a population of about 73,132. Median household income is $48,965 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 37.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $112,400 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Kalamazoo

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Kalamazoo, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI 1.4 miles from Kalamazoo
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
63.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,562
Avg net price $15,273/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 188

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Kalamazoo Valley Community College

Kalamazoo, MI 5.9 miles from Kalamazoo
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,618
Avg net price $2,979/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo is part of the Kalamazoo-Portage, MI metro area (BLS area code 28020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Michigan statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney $112,400 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $118,565
Judge or Magistrate $51,210 MI statewide $54,019
Police Supervisor $94,530 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $99,715
Detective or Criminal Investigator $84,800 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $89,451
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer $74,810 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $78,914
Correctional Officer $64,020 MI statewide $67,532
Probation Officer $75,190 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $79,314
Forensic Science Technician N/A MI statewide
Paralegal or Legal Assistant $53,090 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $56,002
Information Security Analyst $103,000 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $108,650

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.


Kalamazoo at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 73,132 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $48,965 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 37.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 94.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Kalamazoo-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Kalamazoo, MI?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Kalamazoo. The closest is Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI (1.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Southwestern Michigan College (33.2 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Kalamazoo are: Attorney ($112,400), Information Security Analyst ($103,000), Police Supervisor ($94,530). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Michigan statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Portage instead of Kalamazoo?

Portage, MI is 5.2 miles from Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Kalamazoo’s median household income of $48,965 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kalamazoo while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Michigan 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 Kalamazoo

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.