Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Portage, MI (2026)

Portage, Michigan has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $6,026 to $28,655 per year for indexed programs. Portage has a population of about 49,015. Median household income is $79,529 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 48.4% 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 Portage

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

#1

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI 5.8 miles from Portage BOC Score 63.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 105

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

The University of Olivet

Olivet, MI 37.9 miles from Portage BOC Score 36.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,907
Avg net price $21,393/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 60%
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Grace Christian University

Wyoming, MI 49.9 miles from Portage BOC Score 36.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,663
Avg net price $12,404/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 62%
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Spring Arbor University

Spring Arbor, MI 53.0 miles from Portage BOC Score 54.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,732
Avg net price $19,353/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, MI 55.0 miles from Portage BOC Score 65.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,118
Avg net price $16,317/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Jackson College

Jackson, MI 60.8 miles from Portage BOC Score 52.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $36,898
Avg net price $7,761/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Michigan State University

East Lansing, MI 67.8 miles from Portage BOC Score 80.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,253
Avg net price $19,680/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Adrian College

Adrian, MI 81.2 miles from Portage BOC Score 42.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,504
Avg net price $25,368/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Criminal Justice Wages Near Portage

Portage 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.

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


Portage at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population49,015Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$79,529Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+48.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)94.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Portage-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

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

Accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Portage are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Portage 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 Kalamazoo instead of Portage?

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

Portage’s median household income of $79,529 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Portage 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 Portage

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

Data verified: July 23, 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.