Independence, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $13,296 to $13,296 per year for indexed programs. Independence has a population of about 121,944. Median household income is $59,480 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 20.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Attorney at a median $134,640 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Independence
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer criminal justice programs near Independence, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Independence 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 Independence.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$67,102
Avg net price
$25,884/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 81%
- Programs offered: 55
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$56,309
Avg net price
$21,032/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 58%
- Programs offered: 74
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
64%
Graduation rate
52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$49,560
Avg net price
$14,462/yr
TuitionIn‑state$10,050
Out‑of‑state$18,600
Key stats
- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 92
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$42,647
Avg net price
$13,251/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 56%
- Programs offered: 50
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
30%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$43,221
Avg net price
$18,086/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 53%
- Programs offered: 34
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,991
Avg net price
$14,601/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 53%
- Programs offered: 33
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
57%
Graduation rate
52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,991
Avg net price
$22,766/yr
TuitionIn‑state$28,260
Out‑of‑state$28,260
Key stats
- Retention rate: 63%
- Programs offered: 35
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,378
Avg net price
$22,715/yr
TuitionIn‑state$25,826
Out‑of‑state$25,826
Key stats
- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 51
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Missouri schools on the Missouri criminal justice page.
Criminal Justice Wages Near Independence
Independence is part of the Kansas City, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 28140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Missouri statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Attorney |
$134,640 |
Kansas City, MO-KS |
$145,557 |
| Judge or Magistrate |
N/A |
MO statewide |
– |
| Police Supervisor |
$97,830 |
Kansas City, MO-KS |
$105,762 |
| Detective or Criminal Investigator |
$91,490 |
Kansas City, MO-KS |
$98,908 |
| Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer |
$62,960 |
Kansas City, MO-KS |
$68,065 |
| Correctional Officer |
$51,390 |
Kansas City, MO-KS |
$55,557 |
| Probation Officer |
$49,380 |
Kansas City, MO-KS |
$53,384 |
| Forensic Science Technician |
$62,750 |
MO statewide |
$67,838 |
| Paralegal or Legal Assistant |
$63,880 |
Kansas City, MO-KS |
$69,059 |
| Information Security Analyst |
$104,010 |
Kansas City, MO-KS |
$112,443 |
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.
Independence at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Population |
121,944 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income |
$59,480 |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ |
20.9% |
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
92.5 (below U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Independence-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs
- Blue Springs, MO – 6.6 mi away (54,431 pop)
- Raytown, MO – 8.8 mi away (29,261 pop)
- Liberty, MO – 11.1 mi away (30,614 pop)
- Kansas City, MO – 11.2 mi away (1,590,762 pop)
- Lees Summit, MO – 11.9 mi away (89,467 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Independence, MO?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Independence. The closest is Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO (12.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Park University (19.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near Independence?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Independence are: Attorney ($134,640), Information Security Analyst ($104,010), Police Supervisor ($97,830). 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 Blue Springs instead of Independence?
Blue Springs, MO is 6.6 miles from Independence 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 Independence an affordable place to study criminal justice?
Independence’s median household income of $59,480 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Independence 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
Other Programs Available in Independence
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Independence:
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- Library Science programs in Independence, MO
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- Behavioral Health Science programs in Independence, MO
- Mental Health Counseling programs in Independence, MO
- Substance Abuse Counseling programs in Independence, MO
- Journalism programs in Independence, MO
- Public Relations programs in Independence, MO
- Communication Disorders programs in Independence, MO
- Speech Pathology programs in Independence, MO
- Technical Communication programs in Independence, MO
- Professional Writing programs in Independence, MO
- Strategic Communications programs in Independence, MO
- Business Development programs in Independence, MO
- Construction Management programs in Independence, MO
- Economics programs in Independence, MO
- Financial Technology programs in Independence, MO
- Forensic Accounting programs in Independence, MO
- Health Information Management programs in Independence, MO
- Hospitality Management programs in Independence, MO
- International Business programs in Independence, MO
- Organizational Leadership programs in Independence, MO
- Management Information Systems programs in Independence, MO
- Nonprofit Management programs in Independence, MO
- Operations Management programs in Independence, MO
- Public Administration programs in Independence, MO
- Real Estate programs in Independence, MO
- Recreation Management programs in Independence, MO
- Retail Management programs in Independence, MO
- Risk Management programs in Independence, MO
- Statistics programs in Independence, MO
- Taxation programs in Independence, MO
- Corrections programs in Independence, MO
- Crime Analysis programs in Independence, MO
- Criminal Justice Administration programs in Independence, MO
- Criminology programs in Independence, MO
- Cybercrime programs in Independence, MO
- Emergency Management programs in Independence, MO
- Fire Science programs in Independence, MO
- Forensic Science programs in Independence, MO
- Legal Services programs in Independence, MO
- Legal Studies programs in Independence, MO
- Paralegal programs in Independence, MO
- Security Management programs in Independence, MO
- Cloud Computing programs in Independence, MO
- Computer Engineering programs in Independence, MO
- Innovation programs in Independence, MO
- Mobile App Development programs in Independence, MO
- Software Development programs in Independence, MO
- User Experience programs in Independence, MO
- Web Development programs in Independence, MO
- Artificial Intelligence programs in Independence, MO
- Machine Learning programs in Independence, MO
- Supply Chain Management programs in Independence, MO
- Data Analytics programs in Independence, MO
- Public Health programs in Independence, MO
- Human Resources programs in Independence, MO
- Project Management programs in Independence, MO
- Special Education programs in Independence, MO
- Homeland Security programs in Independence, MO
- Marketing programs in Independence, MO
- Finance programs in Independence, MO
- Kinesiology programs in Independence, MO
- Sports Management programs in Independence, MO
- Early Childhood Education programs in Independence, MO
- Elementary Education programs in Independence, MO
- Biology programs in Independence, MO
- Communications programs in Independence, MO
- Graphic Design programs in Independence, MO
- Human Services programs in Independence, MO
- MBA programs in Independence, MO
- Nursing programs in Independence, MO
- Business Administration programs in Independence, MO
- Computer Science programs in Independence, MO
- Psychology programs in Independence, MO
- Education programs in Independence, MO
- Engineering programs in Independence, MO
- Technology programs in Independence, MO
- Liberal Arts programs in Independence, MO
- Healthcare programs in Independence, MO
- Cybersecurity programs in Independence, MO
- Accounting programs in Independence, MO
- Healthcare Administration programs in Independence, MO
- Social Work programs in Independence, MO
- Counseling programs in Independence, MO
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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