Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Cape Girardeau, MO (2026)

Cape Girardeau, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $9,496 to $23,337 per year for indexed programs. Cape Girardeau has a population of about 40,047. Median household income is $54,870 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Missouri, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Information Security Analyst at a median $103,440 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Cape Girardeau

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Cape Girardeau

Cape Girardeau is part of the Cape Girardeau, MO-IL metro area (BLS area code 16020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri 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.

Cape Girardeau at a Glance

Other Cape Girardeau-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Carbondale, IL – 33.9 mi away (68,540 pop)
• Paducah, KY – 53.1 mi away (49,027 pop)
• Farmington, MO – 57.7 mi away (44,494 pop)
• Poplar Bluff, MO – 60.4 mi away (20,714 pop)
• Murray, KY – 83.6 mi away (20,431 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Cape Girardeau, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Cape Girardeau. The closest is Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, MO (1.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is West Kentucky Community and Technical College (52.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near Cape Girardeau?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Cape Girardeau are: Information Security Analyst ($103,440), Attorney ($94,600), Detective or Criminal Investigator ($75,650). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Missouri statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Carbondale instead of Cape Girardeau?

Carbondale, IL is 33.9 miles from Cape Girardeau 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 Cape Girardeau an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Cape Girardeau’s median household income of $54,870 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cape Girardeau while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Missouri 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 Missouri
• Criminal Justice programs by state

Other Programs Available in Cape Girardeau

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

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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.