Hattiesburg, Mississippi has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $3,950 to $15,772 per year for indexed programs. Hattiesburg has a population of about 48,507. Median household income is $44,140 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 35.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Mississippi, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Information Security Analyst at a median $87,690 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Hattiesburg
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Hattiesburg, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Hattiesburg 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Hattiesburg.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Acceptance rate
60%
Graduation rate
51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,087
Avg net price
$14,258/yr
TuitionIn‑state$15,480
Out‑of‑state$15,480
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 35
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,140
Avg net price
$21,708/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 51
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Mississippi schools on the Mississippi criminal justice page.
Criminal Justice Wages Near Hattiesburg
Hattiesburg is part of the Hattiesburg, MS metro area (BLS area code 25620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Mississippi statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Attorney | $87,570 | Hattiesburg, MS | $99,966 |
| Judge or Magistrate | $49,960 | MS statewide | $57,032 |
| Police Supervisor | $63,090 | Hattiesburg, MS | $72,021 |
| Detective or Criminal Investigator | $57,420 | Hattiesburg, MS | $65,548 |
| Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer | $44,080 | Hattiesburg, MS | $50,320 |
| Correctional Officer | $38,720 | Hattiesburg, MS | $44,201 |
| Probation Officer | $34,110 | MS statewide | $38,938 |
| Forensic Science Technician | $52,850 | MS statewide | $60,331 |
| Paralegal or Legal Assistant | $45,050 | Hattiesburg, MS | $51,427 |
| Information Security Analyst | $87,690 | MS statewide | $100,103 |
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.
Hattiesburg at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 48,507 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $44,140 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 35.0% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 87.6 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Hattiesburg-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs
- Laurel, MS – 28.7 mi away (26,433 pop)
- Gulfport, MS – 62.6 mi away (222,131 pop)
- Biloxi, MS – 63.7 mi away (45,975 pop)
- Slidell, LA – 75.7 mi away (94,320 pop)
- Brandon, MS – 77.8 mi away (23,826 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Hattiesburg, MS?
Accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Hattiesburg 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 Hattiesburg?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Hattiesburg are: Information Security Analyst ($87,690), Attorney ($87,570), Police Supervisor ($63,090). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Mississippi statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Laurel instead of Hattiesburg?
Laurel, MS is 28.7 miles from Hattiesburg 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 Hattiesburg an affordable place to study criminal justice?
Hattiesburg’s median household income of $44,140 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Hattiesburg while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Mississippi 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 Hattiesburg
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Hattiesburg:
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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 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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