Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Joplin, MO (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Joplin, Missouri has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs. Joplin has a population of about 52,218. Median household income is $51,154 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.4% 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 Joplin

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

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 Joplin. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Published tuitionContact school for pricing

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Published tuitionContact school for pricing

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Published tuitionContact school for pricing

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Published tuitionContact school for pricing

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

Criminal Justice Wages Near Joplin

Joplin is part of the Joplin, MO-KS metro area (BLS area code 27900). 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	$96,190	Joplin, MO-KS	$112,240
Judge or Magistrate	N/A	MO statewide	–
Police Supervisor	$71,630	Joplin, MO-KS	$83,582
Detective or Criminal Investigator	$49,200	Joplin, MO-KS	$57,410
Police or Sheriff’s Patrol Officer	$45,460	Joplin, MO-KS	$53,046
Correctional Officer	$35,200	Joplin, MO-KS	$41,074
Probation Officer	$46,840	Joplin, MO-KS	$54,656
Forensic Science Technician	$62,750	MO statewide	$73,221
Paralegal or Legal Assistant	$46,620	Joplin, MO-KS	$54,399
Information Security Analyst	$103,440	MO statewide	$120,700

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.

Joplin at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	52,218	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$51,154	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	26.4%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	85.7 (below U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024

Other Joplin-Area Cities With Criminal Justice Programs

Pittsburg, KS – 25.7 mi away (23,069 pop)
Bella Vista, AR – 44.0 mi away (28,406 pop)
Bentonville, AR – 51.9 mi away (47,093 pop)
Rogers, AR – 55.9 mi away (65,021 pop)
Siloam Springs, AR – 61.7 mi away (21,136 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited criminal justice schools are near Joplin, MO?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering criminal justice programs near Joplin. The closest is Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, MO (3.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Fort Scott Community College (52.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying criminal justice-related roles near Joplin are: Information Security Analyst ($103,440), Attorney ($96,190), Police Supervisor ($71,630). 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 Pittsburg instead of Joplin?

Pittsburg, KS is 25.7 miles from Joplin 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 Joplin an affordable place to study criminal justice?

Joplin’s median household income of $51,154 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Joplin 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 Joplin

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

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.

Back to Best Online Criminal Justice Programs in Missouri (2026)

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