Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Jefferson City, MO (2026)

Jefferson City, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs, with tuition ranging from $28,860 to $44,907 per year for indexed programs. Jefferson City has a population of about 42,565. Median household income is $67,205 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.9% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Jefferson City, MO metro area, the top-earning criminal justice-related role is Police Supervisor at a median $102,840 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Criminal Justice Schools to Jefferson City

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

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Jefferson City

Jefferson City is part of the Jefferson City, MO metro area (BLS area code 27620). 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.

Jefferson City at a Glance

Other Jefferson City-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

• Columbia, MO – 27.5 mi away (138,675 pop)
• Rolla, MO – 48.5 mi away (20,692 pop)
• Sedalia, MO – 57.9 mi away (26,302 pop)
• Wentzville, MO – 72.6 mi away (37,395 pop)
• O’Fallon, MO – 80.1 mi away (86,274 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Jefferson City, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Jefferson City. The closest is Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO (0.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies (48.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying criminal justice roles near Jefferson City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Jefferson City are: Police Supervisor ($102,840), Attorney ($93,320), Information Security Analyst ($85,260). 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 Columbia instead of Jefferson City?

Columbia, MO is 27.5 miles from Jefferson City 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 Jefferson City an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Jefferson City’s median household income of $67,205 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Jefferson City 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

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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.