Best Criminal Justice Schools Near Rochester, MN (2026)

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

Rochester, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Rochester has a population of about 121,638. Median household income is $87,767 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Minnesota, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Judge or Magistrate at a median $190,110 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Rochester

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

Rochester Community and Technical College

Rochester, MN 2.7 miles from Rochester
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
50.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,287
Avg net price $14,435/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Rochester

Rochester is part of the Rochester, MN metro area (BLS area code 40340). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Attorney $129,270 Rochester, MN $142,368
Judge or Magistrate $190,110 MN statewide $209,372
Police Supervisor $106,000 Rochester, MN $116,740
Detective or Criminal Investigator $75,100 Rochester, MN $82,709
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer $77,230 Rochester, MN $85,055
Correctional Officer $65,350 Rochester, MN $71,971
Probation Officer $105,350 Rochester, MN $116,024
Forensic Science Technician $76,960 MN statewide $84,758
Paralegal or Legal Assistant $61,230 Rochester, MN $67,434
Information Security Analyst $130,710 MN statewide $143,954

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.

Rochester at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 121,638 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $87,767 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 50.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 90.8 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Rochester-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Rochester, MN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Rochester. The closest is Rochester Community and Technical College in Rochester, MN (2.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Minnesota State College Southeast (42.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Rochester are: Judge or Magistrate ($190,110), Information Security Analyst ($130,710), Attorney ($129,270). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Austin instead of Rochester?

Austin, MN is 34.3 miles from Rochester 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 Rochester an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Rochester’s median household income of $87,767 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rochester while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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 Rochester

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

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.

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